


Idunn's Apples

by DawnSemetra



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Edited Timeline, Gen, Harry Potter is Loki (Marvel)'s Child, Post-Thor: The Dark World
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-25
Updated: 2018-06-21
Packaged: 2019-05-13 12:29:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 31,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14748894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DawnSemetra/pseuds/DawnSemetra
Summary: It happened again. Nine year old Harry was running from his cousin when suddenly, as if by magic, he finds himself transported. Only this time, instead of appearing on a nearby roof, he finds the family he had always desperately wished for and an apple that will change his future forever.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Marvel, nor anything else recognizable. No profit is coming from this. I am merely playing in the sandboxes of those far more famous than myself.
> 
>  
> 
> Hey! It's Dawn here from FFN! I've been asked a few times to upload this story here on AO3, and I am excited to announce that I am going to do just that! This story shall be updated at the same time on both sites from now on.

Harry Potter was running.

His little feet pounded the ground as his muscles strained to push him as fast as they could. Behind him he could hear his cousin, Dudley Dursley and his pack of friends laughing as they slowly caught up to their prey.

As far as nine year olds go, little Harry was fast, but a life of malnutrition and ill fitting clothes meant that he was no where near the physical shape or height that he should have been by his age. Granted his fat whale of a cousin was on the other side of the spectrum when it came to physical shape. Over eating and too many video games was the only reason that the bully hadn't caught little Harry yet today.

Harry took another sharp corner into a nearby park, desperately looking for a place he could hide from his pursuers. He knew he wouldn't be able to keep up this pace for much longer. Already, his vision was beginning to get dark around the edges. Besides the subtle tingling, he had lost feeling in his legs ages ago.

Oh how he wished to be anywhere but here. Harry was never one to complain, but his young mind didn't understand why he had been dealt such a miserable life. Beyond dealing with his bully of a cousin day in and day out, he was well aware that his relatives hated him. He tried to be good and respectful, but no matter how hard he tried, he was always doing something wrong in their eyes. He was pretty sure all of Surrey hated him actually. He was never good enough, and anyone who did seem to see past all the gossip and hatred directed towards him always seemed to disappear not long after making their empty promises toward him.

Harry was knocked out of his thoughts as he stumbled and was barely able to recover his balance. He wheezed out a breath as he chanced a look back. His cousin and his gang were gaining on him. It wouldn't be long now before they caught him if he didn't get somewhere safe soon.

Harry supposed that in the grand scheme of things, this really was his fault. School only had a few more weeks before it let out for the summer and he knew better than to stick around after the final bell. While the only thing that awaited him at home was a long list of mindless chores, it was far better than dealing with his cousin. But today, he hadn't been thinking about that. His teacher had mentioned a book in the school library that had caught his interest and in a moment of weakness, his curiosity overruled his common sense. He did get the book, it was carefully tucked into his old backpack, but at the cost of his cousin cornering him on his way out.

Unlike his cousin, Harry actually did enjoy learning. He wasn't really allowed to apply his intelligence in school, due to his relatives not wanting him to outshine their precious son, but that didn't mean he didn't learn outside of class. He wasn't allowed to watch television, or given many possessions to play with, so books were one of the few escapes he had from his miserable life.

Harry wove between the trees, hoping to regain some ground between him and his pursuers.

The little boy often wondered what his life would be like had his parents not died. Of course he knew that his parents weren't the best of people. 'Drunk deadbeats' as his relatives often labeled them. But still, he figured that even if they were as bad as his relatives said, his life couldn't be much worse than it was now. At least they would love him, right?

That  _had_  to count for something.

Harry stumbled again, only this time he couldn't seem to get his feet back under him in time to recover. He hit the ground hard, his already broken glasses flying off his face in the process. He whimpered as he grappled for his glasses. He knew he was done for now. His cousin and his friends grew louder as they both drew closer and more excited at finally catching their prey.

Harry typically compared his cousin to that of a baby whale in his mind, however in that moment, the bully and his friends reminded him of the hyenas from the movie The Lion King, which he had gotten the chance to watch the other day in class. He had really liked the movie, and couldn't help but compare himself to the little cub, Simba. If only he could find a Timon and Pumbaa to take him away and raise his as their own. That had been a day dream he had had more than once.

But that was irrelevant at the moment.

Harry knew he had no chance, and no one would come to protect him. They were now too close for him to be able to escape. From experience, he knew that trying to make a run for it at this point would only succeed in getting him tackled back into the ground. Holding his recovered glasses tightly in his hand instead of putting them back on, he curled into a tight ball to shield his stomach and face. He did his best to focus on his breathing and tune out the cackling jeers of his pursuers. Pretty soon, he succeeded and his world went silent. The only sound he could hear over his own breathing was a slight ringing in his ears.

He wheezed a cough and tasted blood. Probably from over exerting his lungs, something he wasn't exactly unfamiliar with if he were honest. His whole body was still tingling from the adrenaline induced sprint and he knew he would be sore the next few days from not only his cousin's impending assault but also from the run itself. It had been awhile since he had had to really run like this after all. He cursed his desire to rent the book again.

The next few moments seemed to last hours as he awaited the bigger boy's expected abuse. He could taste salty water drip into his mouth as he continued to pant, although whether it was from sweat or tears he couldn't tell. He had so hoped that he would be able to escape. He had been so close too! If only his clothes weren't so over sized, maybe he wouldn't have tripped.

Another few minutes passed in seeming silence and Harry began to grow confused. Surely they should have caught up to him by now. He waited a few more moments with bated breath.

Scrunching his eyebrows, Harry finally decided to chance a look. He knew there was a very good chance Dudley and the others were standing over him and merely waiting for him to peak. After all, a face was a much more fun target than the back and legs. You could do far more damage to it with a well placed hit. Peaking over his arm, Harry was surprised to see nothing. No blurry people standing over, no trees blocking the sunlight,  _nothing._ Looking upwards, all he could see was blue.

Harry's eyebrows furrowed as he slowly unwrapped his arms from his face and chest to take a better look. Putting his glasses back on, the first thing Harry noticed as the distinct lack of Dudley and his gang. The second thing he noticed was that he was most certainly not in the same park that he had been in only moments ago. In fact, he was pretty sure he had never been where ever this was before.

' _I did it again,_ ' Harry thought miserably, thinking about another time he had been chased by his cousin and ended up on the roof. ' _Uncle Vernon is going to kill me!'_

While he always pretended he didn't know how the odd, freakish things happened, the truth was, Harry really did know. He was a smart kid. He was able to put two and two together and come to the realization that he was different. A  _freak_ , as his relatives aptly described him. He didn't know why it sometimes happened, but Harry was not exactly surprised when he found himself instantly in a new place again. He liked to think it was sorcery however, and had hoped that someone like the X-Men would one day come knocking on his door to offer him a better life, but that hadn't happened yet. And with his current circumstances, it was better to earn as little notice as possible.

Taking a deep steadying breath, Harry pushed himself to his feet and looked around at his new surroundings more carefully. He was pretty sure he was in a garden of some sort. All around him were beautifully kept flowers, of which, only a few Harry could recognize. He seemed to be standing on some sort of pathway, however he couldn't see where it went to. Slowly spinning in a circle, Harry could feel his dread building. He couldn't recognize anything! Even the landscape— for he was pretty sure that there were mountains over there— were unrecognizable to him. There were some buildings too. He could just make out the tops from over the tall plants, but they were unlike any buildings Harry had ever seen.

At that point, Harry came to an undeniable realization: He was no longer in Surrey.

"Did I somehow teleport all the way to London?" Harry questioned himself aloud. He knew that there were parks in London, but he didn't remember the buildings looking quite like the ones he was now observing. Granted, he had only been in London one time before, and that had been when he was only 7. Mrs. Figg hadn't been able to watch him that day, so the Dursley's had been forced to bring him with them, much to their chagrin. Harry, on the other hand had had a blast. To date, it was perhaps one of his favorite memories.

Harry stood in the same spot for nearly an hour, before he finally decided it was time to find his way home on his own. At this point, Harry knew that he was going to be in tremendous trouble, and the thought made his lower lip tremble slightly. He had been hoping that someone visiting the gardens would find him if he stayed in the same spot long enough, but he was now beginning to realize that nobody was going to come. Harry knew that wandering in a random direction was a sure way to get himself lost, but since he was already lost, Harry figured he couldn't get himself in any worse of a situation than he already was.

Besides, Harry was hungry! He was almost certain that dinner time had already come and gone, despite how light it was outside still. Unfortunately, Harry hadn't eaten anything since the small piece of toast he had gobbled down that morning before school.

With that thought in mind, Harry, after a moment of hesitation set off in a completely random direction, hoping to at least find his way out of the seeming labyrinth of gardens.

Harry walked for what felt like miles, always following the same winding pathway. Sometimes, another path would seem to split from the main one, but Harry always remained on what he could only assume was the main one. His feet began to ache, after a while, but like his tired muscles and scraped up hands and knees from his fall, Harry ignored them and continued to trudge along.

Nearly an hour passed when Harry finally came to the end of the pathway. However, to his further confusion, Harry found that the pathway didn't end at an exit, instead, it had led him to a grand tree. Encircling the tree from all sides, other similar pathways to the one he currently stood also came to an end at the tree.

Coming to a halt, Harry heaved a sigh of frustration. Now what was he supposed to do? All that walking was for nothing. He still hadn't seen a single soul during his hours spent in the garden, and he was beginning to think that maybe the park was abandoned. He quickly shook that thought from his head however, as the gardens were simply too well kept to have been truly abandoned.

And Harry felt that he, above anyone would know. After all, one of his most common chores was maintaining his Aunt Petunia's gardens. It was never a chore he minded that much. He took pride in how well kept they were. How the neighbors always complimented Aunt Petunia for their beauty without realizing that it hadn't been her hard work that made them possible.

Truly, the gardens here were a masterpiece. Had Harry not been so desperate to get home as soon as possible so as not to worsen his punishment, he would have really enjoyed the place. He had never seen such a beautiful and extensive garden, and the lack of any weeds was incredibly impressive to the boy. Everything— every rock, every twig, every plant— was in it's place. One only had to look at the apple tree and the area surrounding it to see that.

' _Wait…'_ Harry backtracked in his head, focusing his attention on the tree in front of him once more,  _'Apple tree?'_

Sure enough, that was exactly what it was, though Harry was certain he had never laid eyes on that particular variety of apple before. Hanging heavily from the tree, the apples were a bright yellow, with an almost golden sheen to them. But in that moment, Harry found he could care less about what type they were, his relief at potentially quashing his hunger made sure of that.

Now, Harry was pretty sure it was considered bad manners to pick fruit of off other peoples trees without permission. Yet, with how hungry he currently was, and the vast amount of ripe fruit the tree currently bared, Harry was pretty sure that whoever owned the beautiful tree wouldn't care if a single apple went missing.

Or two.

Carefully, Harry made his way to the tree. Standing at the trunk, Harry was unsurprised to find that the tree was very large and most likely very old. The tree's trunk was also very straight and had very few handholds for easy climbing. Luckily for Harry, he had had a lot of experience climbing trees.

Mostly to get away from Dudley.

This tree would hardly be the most difficult he had ever climbed.

With that in mind, Harry took a deep breath and started to make his way scaling up the trunk. It was slow going, but pretty soon, Harry was within reach of an apple. Reaching out his hand, Harry carefully picked it from the tree and brought it close to his chest. Cautiously, Harry made his way back down the tree with his prize.

Once he had reached the bottom, Harry sat down on the soft ground, his back against the tree's trunk and studied the apple.

Despite what he had thought before, Harry had to acknowledge that the apple really wasn't yellow at all. Shifting the apple in his hand, he could see the light shift on its surface, making the golden apple look more like an intricately carved golden paperweight than a fruit.

For a brief moment, Harry pondered whether this was all some sort of elaborate trick, and that the apple was actually fake. He could just see his relatives jumping out from behind one of the plants, laughing that he had fallen for it when he finally did attempt to bite into the fruit.

He brought the apple to his nose suspiciously and sniffed.

No, it was definitely a fruit. Although, Harry couldn't really say that the apple smelled like a normal apple. More like an overly ripe pineapple if Harry had to compare it's smell to something. Except, that wasn't quite right either.

Getting impatient, and deciding that whatever it was, it  _was_  in fact edible, Harry took a bite.

The apple's flavor was intense, and nothing like Harry had ever tasted before in his life. Far to sweet to be a normal fruit, Harry was instead reminded of one of Dudley's overly sugary candies. Harry's eyebrows furrowed as he chewed slowly, his hunger had been forgotten as he tried to make sense of the new sensations he felt in his mouth. There was an odd warmth to the flavor that grew more intense the longer Harry chewed. It was almost as if the fruit had been cooked, and as Harry finally swallowed his mouthful, the warmth spread to the rest of his body.

Harry took another bite.

This time, the warmth was already there as soon as the apple touched his lips. As the warmth continued to spread through his body, Harry offhandedly noticed that all the aches and pains that he had been feeling earlier were curiously absent. In fact, he felt better than he could ever remember feeling. His eyelids felt heavy as he finally swallowed.

Harry took a third bite.

Shifting to get a bit more comfortable, Harry chewed slowly on the unnaturally sweet fruit. With a content sigh, Harry curled up against the tree, feeling warmer and safer than he had in a very long time. A small smile appeared on his lips as his eyes shuttered closed. It wasn't long after that that the little boy was fast asleep.

As Harry finally lost consciousness, the golden apple fell from his limp hand, rolling a small distance away.

~x~

Loki Laufeyson was so close to his present objective. Always the planner, the trickster god had actually started plotting his current scheme the moment Thor and his muggle woman had released him from his prison.

The plan had been simple really. All he really had to do was fake his death at one point before returning to Asgard through one of his secret pathways. To succeed, he simply had to ensure that the magical bindings Thor had placed on him during their escape were removed and wait for a suitable moment for him to fake his death. Getting the chance to 'die' after protecting Thor had just been the cream of the crop. Really, it was one of the most basic schemes he had ever concocted, and he was almost disappointed with how simple it had been.

Of course, after all the bad luck he had had lately, he was not about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

At the current moment, Loki was approaching the palace from the back side. The next phase of his scheme involved removing Odin from the throne and taking his place without anyone becoming aware of the switch. Normally, this would be impossible, however, Loki was well aware of the fact that the Allfather was nearing the time of year when he would be required to enter the Odinsleep. He also figured, that due to the grief caused by the recent death of Frigga, Odin would be too busy mourning to successfully fend off an attack.

The thought of his mother made Loki pause slightly. Odin might have been mourning, but Loki was pretty sure than no one missed her as much as Loki himself did, even if he would never admit it.

He could remember as a young child how she used to take him on walks through these very gardens he was now using to sneak back into the palace. She was always the one he went to when he was upset, especially when Thor was too busy with his older friends to pay any mind to his little brother—  _adopted brother!_  He would come running to her, and despite his barely controlled tears that were not warrior like in the least, she would take his hand and lead him into the privacy of the gardens to speak softly to him, and above all,  _listen._

Taking a deep breath, Loki shook his head to get his thoughts back on the matter at hand. Shielding himself from Heimdall's view, Loki slowly wound his way through the beautiful gardens. Not for the first time, he thanked the norms for his ability to pass undetected in between realms, and for an entrance that was hidden in the back corner of the gardens. Otherwise, he was certain that his current objective would be impossible.

He was so close too! A few more turns and he would have reached the central point of the gardens: the sacred Tree of Idunn. From there, it was a straight shot to the palace. He was moderately surprised that he had not yet run into any of the gardeners that typically tended to the gardens. It wouldn't have been a problem of course, they would never even know he was there due to his magic hiding him, but it did make his life easier. Until he seized control of Asgard, he was trying to keep his magic usage to a minimum, so as not to attract any attention with his magical signature.

Cautiously, Loki followed the path that would carry him towards the Tree of Idunn.

It had been so long since he had laid eyes on the tree and its legendary apples. Not many people knew, but the Aesir were born with the same lifespan's as the humans of Midgard. It was only due to the consumption of the apple's that their lives were so dramatically prolonged. All the different civilizations of the nine realms had ways of prolonging their lives, bar those from Alfheim, who were the true immortals. The Vanir of Vanaheim had a similar tree on their own world too. Actually, the Asgardian Tree of Idunn was brought over from Vanaheim by the lady Idunn during the early years of Bor's reign. Bor had hailed from Vanaheim himself originally, and was a childhood friend of Idunn.

Loki didn't know how the Jötnar prolonged their own lives, however he figured it had to be similar to that of the golden apples of Idunn. While Loki was technically a Frost Giant himself, he had gone through the Asgardian's ceremony for prolonged life.

A child of Asgard received a golden apple once they had reached their tenth year of life. Due to the rarity of children born on Asgard, any child coming of age to receive their apple was cause for a huge celebration for all of Asgard. Once the apple was consumed, an Asgardian's aging was slowed down dramatically. On average, the Aesir aged only a single year for almost every two centuries of Midgardian life. This was why no child under the age of 10 was allowed one. By 10, an Asgardian child was considered old enough to enter an apprenticeship and protect themselves from danger if necessary.

The Aesir were not considered adults until they reached their 1800th year. That was also the time when an Asgardian exited their apprenticeship or received warrior status. At just over 1900 years old, Loki himself was naturally considered an adult, albeit a very young one. He also, due to his status as a Prince, had not technically been any particular Master's apprentice. Like Thor, Loki received lessons in many different disciplines. Of course, that came alongside the warrior training expected of a prince, much to his chagrin.

Loki was an excellent warrior, as was expected, however he would never enjoy the rush of battle like Thor did. Diplomacy and magic were far more enjoyable for the dark haired prince.

Finally turning the corner, the Tree of Idunn came into view. Loki paused for a moment to take the sight in. As usual, it's lush branches sagged under the weight of it's priceless golden apples. The whole tree seemed to glow from the late evening's sun reflecting light off the apples that were only partly hidden in the tree's autumn coloured leaves. The only portion of the tree that was not a splendid gold was the tree's rich brown bark.

Loki let his eyes trail down the tree's trunk until it reached it's roots. Loki then frowned.

'… _Is that a person lying at the tree's base?'_

Forehead creasing in confusion, Loki stepped closer to the tree in curiosity. While the gardeners were responsible for the Tree of Idunn, they were not under any circumstances allowed to simply relax near the tree. No person, with the exception of the royal family were allowed such a privilege.

As he drew nearer to the tree, a few things became apparent. The first, was that the figure was most definitely  _not_ a gardener because the figure leaning against the tree was almost certainly a child. He briefly considered that the child was one of the gardeners' apprentices, however quickly disregarded the thought. The child was far too small to be given tasks involving the Tree of Idunn, let alone being left unescorted with it.

The second thing Loki noticed was the abhorred state that the child was dressed in. His upper lip curled back in disgust as he further considered the little boy's clothes. Unlike anything Loki had ever seen in Asgard, the child seemed to be wrapped in something more akin to loose rags than actual clothes.

Loki came to a halt directly in front of the slumbering child. Upon closer inspection, the Prince was struck with the realization that the child was far younger than he had originally assumed, appearing to only be 6 or 7 years of age.

He also couldn't help but ponder the child's hair color. Very few native Asgardians had hair as black as his. The golden blond locks of his  _not_  brother was the dominant gene. As a child, Loki had always assumed that his own dark hair had been due to his mother originating from Vanaheim.

Gently, Loki reached down and brushed the boy's hair from his overly warm forehead. His eyes immediately went to the jagged scar that disfigured the otherwise smooth skin of the child's forehead. He supposed that that was another thing he could add to the list of growing concerns he had for the boy. While Loki was no medic, even he knew that a curse scar such as that should not be left untreated.

Heaving a deep breath, Loki tore his gaze away from the child and glanced at his feet. He was at a loss for what to do. He couldn't in his right mind— and hadn't  _that_  been a questionable subject as of late— leave the child alone now that he had discovered him. On the other hand however, he was unsure as to how his scheme would be affected should he try and take the child with him on his confrontation with the Allfather. Suddenly Loki's eyes focused on the shimmer of gold that sat innocently on the ground beside the boy and his internal argument instantly fled from his mind.

' _Wait. Is that a..?'_

"Oh you stupid, stupid boy." Loki breathed, as he stared at the partially eaten apple that lay at his feet.

It was not uncommon for a child under 10 to  _wish_  to acquire their apple before reaching their tenth year of life. This was truly only wishful thinking however, as no child had ever been able to get their hands on an apple before their time, at least, not as far as Loki was aware. Loki couldn't help but wonder how  _this_  particular child managed to slip past the guards that lined the palace and gardens.

Well, it didn't matter now. The child was now not likely to reach the normal size of an Aesir old enough to become apprenticed for a couple centuries. Instead of growing up quicker, as Loki was sure the boy intended, the child would now be stuck in a sort of limbo as he waited the centuries necessary before he could receive an apprenticeship.

Loki could only wonder how the kid's parents would react to that realization. Then again, Loki figured that if the child was dressed as he was, they probably didn't care for him much in the first place.

Loki narrowed his eyes at the thought.

While Loki couldn't say that his privileged childhood was not happy, he was always aware that he was not an equal to Thor. Especially as they grew older, Thor's aura seemed to grow brighter and Loki, simply not as brilliant, fell into his brother's shadows. That was one of the reasons that Loki became so mischievous in the first place. He had always enjoyed making people laugh, however as he grew older, playing tricks was the only way that he could pull attention from Thor and onto himself. As time passed and his tricks became old and what was expected, Loki had been forced to go to more and more extremes in order to achieve the same results. More often than naught, he wondered whether the punishments were worth the attention.

Looking back on his deeds prior to his fall from the Bifrost, Loki now realized that his actions in part were driven by his desperation to prove himself worthy to the Allfather. To show that he was just as good as Thor— perhaps  _better_ even— once and for all. That desperation had simply increased tenfold with the awareness of the monster he truly was.

That being said, if the child had felt so desperate to eat an apple before his time as a last ditch effort to achieve his parent's notice, Loki simply couldn't remain idle.

Crouching down, Loki carefully maneuvered the child so that he could lift him up in his arms. The prince frowned again as he moved to stand back up. The child was far lighter than he had expected given his assumed age. With a shake of his head, Loki banished the worry he felt for the child and proceeded to make his way towards the palace.

Stepping through the palace, Loki was again taken by surprise by the lack of guards and figures of the court mingling about. The halls were unusually empty, and despite making his descent towards the throne room that much easier, it was putting Loki on edge.

He finally made it to the throne room's entrance where he was again not faced with a single guard. Hesitating slightly, Loki finally stepped forward, still clutching the child to his chest. The only sound that could be heard were the muted echoes of his own steps as he made his way towards the throne.

As he had expected, the Allfather sat on the throne alone and appearing tired. His current state making him appear far older than he was in reality. As soon as he came into view, the Allfather's eyes focused in on Loki.

' _He has been expecting me.'_ Loki realized. At least that explained the lack of gardeners and guards.

"Loki." The Allfather acknowledged, "I had a feeling I'd be seeing you soon, although, I had not expected you to come bearing a child."

Loki narrowed his eyes. "He was in the gardens." Loki said dismissively, intending to leave out the detail's regarding the child's recent deed. "I simply couldn't leave him unattended."

"Of course." The king agreed dismissively, however not before taking another intrigued look at the boy. Loki felt his arms tighten around his small burden.

"I assume you are here to unseat me from the throne?" Odin continued, his tone conversational. Loki narrowed his eyes, but didn't speak which Odin seemed to take as an affirmation. "And what are you planing to do with the boy? Surely you don't think you can rule Asgard while maintaining my image  _and_  raise that child— which we both know will have special requirements— all without help?"

"What makes you think I intend to keep the child?" Loki asked snidely.

Odin merely smiled.

Growing angry at the mind games being played against him, Loki stalked forward until he stood directly in front of the Allfather's throne. "The child is of no importance to me." he bit out. "I was merely removing it from the gardens. Once I have assumed the throne, I  _will_ prove once and for all that I am capable of leading Asgard."

Odin's smile merely grew a touch more pronounced and the skin around his eyes crinkled. "I have no doubt you could. Truly though, have you not noticed? Tell me Loki, who does the child remind you of?"

Loki blinked in bewilderment before finally dropping his gaze to the sleeping child still nestled in his arms.

"…Me." Loki muttered before quickly continuing, "But I'm not— He can't be— I don't  _have_ any children."

"Are you certain of that, Loki?" Odin asked softly.

Loki quickly brought his eyes back up to meet the Allfather's stare directly before answering. " _Yes!_  Despite those stupid Midgardian fables, I do  _not_  have any children. I wouldn't lie about something like that!"

Odin turned his gaze off to the side, his brows slightly furrowed in thought. "I had thought that prompting you would perhaps jog your memory… Alas, it seems that the spell I placed on you not too long ago was a bit stronger than I had intended. Of course, I had never thought that I would need to break it."

"Just what are you suggesting?" Loki asked cautiously.

Odin took a few moments before responding. "Just over three decades ago, when you turned your brother into a frog during the feast we threw for the Vanir diplomates—"

Loki snorted softly at the reminder. It had been rather spontaneous on his part, but Loki had recently been studying seidr that would allow one to temporarily transform another into a new form and he had been dying to test it. Besides, Thor had truly been getting on his last nerves with his constant boasting and the few belittling comments he slipped in— possibly not on purpose, given his arrogant nature— about Loki.

"—yes, I am aware you found it funny. However it was hardly appropriate, given the circumstances." Odin sighed. "Now, do you remember your punishment for that particular offense?"

"You punished me like usual." Loki responded slowly, not comprehending what the older man was getting at, "I was banished to my quarters for a period of time with my magic partially bound… Doomed to boredom."

Odin shook his head. "Except you  _weren't_. Not that time." The Allfather drew a deep breath before he explained. "I had given you the same punishment so many times before that I did realize that it wasn't working. As you say, it primarily made you bored. And boredom was one of the very things that has caused you to act out."

Loki opened his mouth to argue, however Odin stopped him with a mild glare.

"Don't get me wrong, Loki, I am well aware that your tricks rarely brought any real harm to anyone, and that's why I rarely felt the need to  _truly_ punish you. Nevertheless, with that last act, I found myself at a crossroad. Despite what you might think, I  _do_  see you as a son to me,  _and_  a prince of Asgard. And I needed you to act like one, and  _not_ like a mischievous little boy always trying to show up his elder brother… So that's why I decided to send you to Midgard."

"…What?" Loki breathed, his eyes growing wide.

"I sent you to Midgard." Odin reiterated calmly. "Not like Thor, but as a mortal babe. I gave you a completely clean slate. The parents were magical, but could have no children of their own. It was easy to edit their memories some so that you could have a happy childhood with parents who loved you and no siblings you had to compete with. You were quite happy I believe, and grew into a great young lad. Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and a war was threatening to tear the world I had placed you in apart. Eventually, it did."

"So I take it I died?" Loki asked bluntly.

"You did." the Allfather admitted, "Far younger than I had expected too. You were just a little older than the human equivalent to your true age. As soon as you were killed there, you reappeared here, as per the conditions I set upon your particular banishment… But we are getting off topic.  _Before_ you died, you married and the two of you conceived a child. She died at the same time you did, and I had thought that the child perished too. It seems I was mistaken."

"Why didn't anyone  _tell_ me?!" Loki demanded, reeling from the new information he had been given.

"Because no one knew." Odin stated plainly. "I didn't even tell your mother, and even forbid her from visiting you. Everyone assumed you to be simply locked in your quarters as you usually were."

Loki opened his mouth before closing it again and glanced back down at the boy still held tightly in his hands. "So you are telling me that this boy is my—" He swallowed thickly as the last word stuck in his throat.

"Your son." Odin confirmed when Loki failed to finish his sentence. "I am not certain as to what means he used to come here, but I am quite confident of his parentage."

Loki took a steadying breath and switched topics. "If all of that is true, then why don't  _I_ remember?"

Odin sighed. "Because you were devastated upon your return. As your father, I couldn't let you live with such despair when I knew there was something I could do about it and that it was my fault you held such horrific memories in the first place."

"And you cannot return my memories to me?"

"I am afraid not." the Allfather noted sadly, "The memories are gone, not merely blocked. With you being as gifted at magic as you are, I could not chance the likelihood that you would find the block and unknowingly release the memories. I had hoped that I could jog your memories and they might return on their own, but I'm afraid that since they didn't, there is nothing we can do."

"What do I do with him?" Loki questioned weakly after a moment. Nobody needed to ask what he was referring to.

"He is your child, Loki. Raise him. Teach him.  _Love_  him." Odin answered simply.

Loki scoffed. "I  _hardly_ think I am father material. The boy would be better off with someone else."

"Perhaps not." Odin disagreed. "You won't know what sort of father you will be until you've tried."

Loki quirked an eyebrow at the man who had raised him and smiled bitterly. "I don't even know his name."

"The name you gave him on Midgard was Harry James, of the Noble House of Potter."

Loki wrinkled his nose in dislike. "How… utterly Midgardian."

"Indeed it is." Odin sounded amused. "Perhaps something more Asgardian would be better?"

Loki narrowed his eyes at the hint but appeared to be thinking seriously about the question. "Haraldr is far better than  _Harry_ ," he mused finally; hesitantly, "and if the boy is to have a  _second_  name… then Magnus. Haraldr Magnus… son of Loki."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The edited timeline for those who wish it:  
> I am going off of the year’s the movies were released as my base and moving the Harry Potter Universe to conform to the movies.
> 
> 2004 Harry was born  
> 2005 Potters ‘die’  
> 2011 events of Thor  
> 2012 Loki attacked Midgard  
> 2013 Story starts 
> 
> Till next time!
> 
> ~Dawn


	2. Chapter 2

"So do you intend to imprison me again?" Loki asked bitterly, after a moment of silence had passed between the pair.

"Depends." Odin responded evenly, "Are you going to attempt to seize the throne?"

Loki snorted and glared up at the Allfather, his eyes filled with hostility. "You expect me to believe that I shall be allowed to walk free, should I stand down? Do not attempt to toy with me, Allfather." Loki snarled back. "The last time I stood in this very room, you said I was to be  _imprisoned_  for the rest of my life. That my  _birthright_ was to die as an infant!"

Odin closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking. "I remember what I said, and I know now that I should never have uttered it. You must understand, Loki, being a good  _king_  is no easy task, however being a good  _father_  is unbelievably harder… I am afraid that I have failed you and your brother both on more than one occasion. There are many things that I have come to I regret, most of all, keeping your heritage a secret from you.

"Should you agree to yield now, I will not put you back in your cell." Odin continued, "You  _are_  correct, however, that you shall not be allowed to move around completely unchecked. I shall have a guard watching your every movements, and you will be required to submit to a partial magical binding, similar to the one I used to place on you during your past punishments. Be that as it may, I  _shall_  allow you to raise your child unhindered. No one will attempt to take him away from you unless you yourself will it… Do you agree to my terms?"

"Using the child as blackmail now, Allfather?" Loki muttered darkly under his breath. If Odin heard him, he made no attempt to retort. Instead, the Allfather remained patiently silent while he awaited Loki's response.

Loki considered his options for a long minute, mostly because now he wasn't sure what he wanted. He glanced down at the boy that he still clutched to his chest. He was desperate to prove that he could be a good leader for Asgard, but if the child really was his, Loki wasn't sure he could simply abandon him. Not with the knowledge that he himself had been abandoned. And even if he wanted to, he couldn't simply send the child back to Midgard. After consuming the apple, the child would no longer fit in with the mortals. He also agreed with the Allfather that pulling off his scheme  _and_ caring for the child was a terrible idea. Still at a loss, he decided to ask a question that had been plaguing his mind since he had first found the child, rather than answer.

"Why is the child dressed so poorly?"

The Allfather looked saddened. "I am afraid I cannot answer you that, Loki. As I have explained, I was unaware of the child's survival until I felt his arrival not too long ago. What has happened to him from your death to now is as much a mystery to me as it is to you."

Loki nodded thoughtfully. "Given his size, the child is far to light to be healthy, even for a Midgardian. His state of dress leads me to believe he has not been cared for properly. Or perhaps, this is the norm for the mortals. Truly, that would not surprise me."

"I expect you are likely correct regarding his health." Odin agreed lightly with a slight frown. He seemed intent to ignore Loki's gibe against Midgard. His eyes focused on the boy once more. "You were always a small child, but even you did not appear quite that small at almost 10."

Loki's eyes widened. "Excuse me?  _Ten?_ I had assumed him to be a child of only 6 or 7 years!"

"No. While I don't know what has happened since your death, I do have knowledge of his birth and first year of life. On the Midgardian calendar, Haraldr was born on the 31st of July of the year 2003. That means he will turn 10 in just over two months time."

"He's already eaten an apple." Loki finally admitted, watching the Allfather's reaction carefully. "I found him with one half eaten at the Tree of Idunn."

Odin sighed. "I am aware of his deed. Nonetheless, the child shan't be punished for something he was unaware was even wrong. Luckily, he is close enough to his tenth year that it should not prove too difficult to keep the public from knowing. Keeping him hidden until his day of birth will also ensure that he has time to acclimate to Asgard and learn our ways. He will be announced officially at his ceremony. In the mean time, I do think it wise that he be taken to see Eir, about his weight and size."

Loki nodded, before adding almost offhandedly, "He has an untreated curse scar that she ought to also take a look at. It looks  _old_. I do not understand what the Midgardians were  _thinking_ , letting it go this long without remedy."

"The Midgardian's are learning quickly, but they are still far behind us in many ways, Loki." The Allfather pointed out, "It might be that they do not  _have_ a cure for such a scar yet."

Loki appeared to consider that for a time. "Perhaps." He conceded finally, "Regardless, the child needs to be treated… I will…  _accept_  your terms, provided you do not go back on your word."

Odin's eyes softened. "Welcome home, my son."

~x~

A few hours later, Loki was pacing his old quarters as he fingered one of the metal bands that adorned his wrists. The binds did not completely cut him off from his seidr as the one Thor had recently placed on him did. However, it  _did_ make any magic beyond the most basic of spells utterly exhausting. Because it was directly tied to the Allfather, Loki also couldn't cast a single spell without Odin becoming immediately aware. Loki had been subjected to this particular binding many times during his life, so its effects and limitations were not exactly new to the dark haired prince.

Upon leaving the throne room, Loki had promptly taken the boy to Eir, the palace healer, who had given the child a full physical. Luckily, Odin had seen fit to send Muninn, one of his ravens, with the news of his impending arrival. Thus, by the time Loki stepped into the healing quarters, complete with the child in his arms and a newly assigned guard in tow, Eir had barely even blinked before gesturing for him to place the child on the table for her to take a look at.

The physical itself had taken far longer that Loki had expected. After she had finished, she had turned to Loki, grim faced and listed off all the things she had found. Beyond the known malnutrition, and the curse scar, other problems, such as incorrectly healed broken bones, poor vision and even a basic magic block had been found by the stern healer. Eir had quickly fixed what she could and set a strict regime of potions for the boy to take to aid in his recovery. She had claimed that should he follow her schedule exactly, he would be near normal by his tenth year celebration.

All throughout her examination, Loki had watched carefully over her shoulder. He wasn't entirely sure what exactly he was watching for, but his eyes never left the sleeping boy on the table, much to Eir's annoyance. A few times Eir had looked like she was tempted to tell him off, however instead of speaking up, she would just let out an irritated sigh and shake her head.

Finally, Eir had allowed him to take the boy out of the medical chambers with the promise that he would return within the next few days so that she might look closer at the curse scar when the boy was actually awake. Loki had agreed easily enough to that proposal. The dark magic that emanated from the curse scar turned his stomach. He couldn't imagine what it was doing to the boy's psych. Eir had also promised that he would be receiving the first batch of potions for the boy within the next few hours.

After that, Loki had gently picked the boy up once more and began to make the slow trek towards his old found it surreal, to walk so freely through the palace once again. The last time he had been able to make this simple walk without being disturbed had been before Thor's banishment. While truly that had only occurred a few years ago, it felt like a life time for Loki. Especially after what had happened to him in the void.

_Those_  were memories he wished he could forget.

Loki sighed as he paused in his pacing to glance over at the boy. Upon entering his chambers, Loki had placed the still sleeping child down on the very center of his bed. The already small child was practically being dwarfed by Loki's overly large bed. He looked so incredibly peaceful to Loki, though. And innocent.

Loki let out a frustrated noise and tore his gaze away from the boy, intent to continue his pacing. What was he  _thinking?_ There was no possible way he could be a good example for the boy, let alone a good father. He was still far too messed up to even attempt such a thing. Even now, when over a year had passed since his attack on Midgard, he knew his mental state was still fragile. His mind, once one of his most powerful weapons had been utterly torn apart during his time in the void. The prison sentence had been a punch in the gut, but it had allowed him time to put himself mostly back in order with little outside interference.

There was also the worry of Thanos using the boy to get to him. If he, Norms forbid, actually allowed himself to become too attached to the boy, it would only be another piece for the Mad Titan to use against him. And Loki was certain that Thanos would come for him again at some point. He didn't seem the type to disregard those who had failed him.

At least, he was safe here on Asgard.

Thanos was many things, but stupid was certainly not one of them. He wouldn't dare attack Asgard without a very good reason. Loath as he was to admit it, Loki knew he wasn't important enough to trigger an invasion of that caliber.

Loki was also well aware of the fact that he should warn Odin, or even Thor of the threat of Thanos. But, to tell would mean admitting his own weakness, and that was not something he was inclined to do. Not after how unfairly he had been treated by those who once pretended he was family.

Without warning, Loki heard a soft whimper come from the figure on the bed.

Turning on his heels, Loki faced the bed just in time to see the boy sit up. As the child slowly took in his new surroundings, he suddenly scrunched his eyebrows together and brought a small hand to touch the bridge of his eyes. Loki knew without a doubt that the boy was feeling for his glasses. Glasses that Loki had already distastefully thrown away. The boy wouldn't need them anymore, anyways.

Finally, the child turned his bright watery green eyes on Loki.

The intensity of the child's eyes startled Loki. They were not quite the same deep emerald green of his own eyes— their color being lighter and almost unnatural in their potency of color— but they were close enough that Loki was certain that no one would mistake the child as being anyone except a Lokison. The child's eyes also practically  _glowed_  with untapped magic, and the trickster prince was quick to realize that it was nigh likely that his son would be just as impressive of a seidr user as he himself was.

"I can see." The child noted to himself with uncertainty, breaking Loki from his thoughts. "Where am I?"

"You are in Asgard." Loki answered plainly. "And you can see because our healer, Eir fixed your vision."

"Oh." The boy responded quietly scrunching his face in apparent thought. "I don't remember learning about that place in school. Is it close to Surrey? My relatives are going to be  _so_  mad at me!"

"I'm afraid I don't know where your Surrey is, but I do know that you are rather far from home, child." Loki explained gently, trying to keep the amused lilt out of his voice. "You have relatives? I presume they are related to your mother then?"

"Er-yeah. They are my Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon." The boy then pursed his lips. "Did you know my parents, sir?"

Loki hesitated, not quite knowing how to answer that one. He was certain that he wasn't ready for the child to know they were kin. Finally, he decided to settle on a half-truth. "I am afraid I've had a recent bout of amnesia. If I knew them at one point, it seems I have forgotten them. The Allfather, however told me the basics of your parents."

The boy seemed to except his explanation easily enough, before cocking his head to the side. "All  _father_? What's an All father?"

"The  _Allfather_  is the leader of Asgard and the protector of the nine realms." Loki lectured. "With his power, the OdinForce, he is able to see all and know all. There is no being more powerful…"

Despite his rather basic explanation, Loki could see that the child was only getting more and more confused the more he said, so he decided to backtrack a little bit.

"He is like the king of this place." Loki summarized, "He also happens to be my adoptive father."

The boy's eyes grew wide, becoming even more unnaturally green. "But that would make you a prince!"

"I am a prince," Loki agreed, deciding to keep to himself the fact that his title had technically been revoked. "But you may simply call me Loki."

Loki waited for the child to cringe away from him at the reveal of his name. After all, the child grew up on Midgard, surely he was well aware of his attempts to subjugate the humans? Surprisingly, the child did not so much as blink at his name.

"I'm Harry." The boy responded automatically.

Loki grimaced. There was no way he was calling the green eyed child that Midgardian name.

"Oh Asgard, Harry is only a nickname, child." He started slowly, "Here, your full name is Haraldr."

"Oh." The boy seemed to think about that for a moment. "I guess that makes sense. My relatives rarely use my name anyways, so maybe they didn't know."

Loki narrowed his eyes at the innocent observation. "It is not quite that simple, I'm afraid. Your Midgardian name  _is_  Harry James of house Potter. Here on Asgard, you are called Haraldr Magnus. Your father originated from this realm, thus why you have two names."

"Midgardian?"

"Midgard." Loki reiterated. "I believe you refer to it as 'Earth' It is one of the nine realms of Yggdrasil, the world tree. Asgard is another."

Loki could see when the all the dots suddenly clicked for the boy. "Wait… I'm on another planet?!"

"Technically speaking, yes."

Haraldr turned incredulous eyes on Loki, "You're an alien prince? But you aren't green!"

Now it was Loki's turn to be confused. "…pardon?"

" _Green!_  With only three fingers and antennas!" the boy explained impatiently, "That's what aliens are supposed to look like! Dudley told me so. He's my cousin."

Loki's eyes flickered with irritation, but he answered nonetheless, "Well, I have traveled the nine realm's quite extensively, and I cannot say I have met  _any_  individuals who meet your description. I should think your cousin was mistaken, but that is not so shocking. As a rule, the humans of Midgard are the least knowledgable civilization in all the nine realms when it comes to the universe and how things function outside their tiny little world."

"Oh." The boy was quiet for a while. His intense green eyes had finally turned away from Loki so that he could instead study his surroundings once more. When he finally did speak up again, his voice was barely a whisper. "How am I to get home, if I am on a different planet?"

Loki took a deep breath before responding. "There are many ways to travel between Asgard and Midgard, the Bifrost being perhaps the most well known. I expect you came here by accidentally, stumbling upon one of my own secret passageways. Your magic must have triggered its opening."

"Magic?" The boy brought his wide eyes back up to meet Loki's. "Like Merlin? Does that mean I am not a freak?"

"Freak?" Loki blinked in surprise. He didn't know much about the magic users of Midgard, but he had assumed them to be at least more open about magic than those of Asgard. "Good heavens no. Whilst not everyone appreciates magic as they should, I assure you child, it is a wondrous gift. I shall even teach you how to wield your magic myself, should you wish to learn."

The child nodded timidly. "I'd like that." He then paused for a moment, before speaking up again. "Can you take me home, sir? You said you had secret passageways you could travel through."

Loki stared hard at the child. "I cannot." he explained at last. The boy opened his mouth to speak but Loki beat him to it, "You cannot return to Midgard, I am afraid. After you ate from the Tree of Idunn, you will never truly fit in in that realm again."

If it were possible, the child's eyes appeared even larger and brighter than before. Loki's heart clenched. "I-I don't understand."

"The  _apple_  tree. You ate an apple, correct?"

The boy's eyes blinked rapidly. "Oh…  _I'm sorry!_  I didn't mean to steal! Honest! I was just so hungry, and I didn't think anyone would care! Please sir, I'll do anything! Just let me go home! Uncle Vernon is already going to be mad. The longer I stay here, the more in trouble I will be when I have to return!  _Please!_ "

" _Haraldr!_ " Loki shouted, finally breaking the boy out of his panic induced ramblings. Once he had his attention, Loki took a breath and continued with a quieter tone "You misunderstand me. You are not in any trouble. However, those apples have special properties to them. By eating one, you have changed yourself in ways that will not allow you to live normally amongst the Midgardians. On Asgard, you will be far happier. This shall be your home now."

"I— you want me to live on Asgard?" The boy asked uncertainly.

"Would you be okay with that?" Loki found himself asking softly. He wasn't sure why he was even asking, because the child really didn't have a choice. "You can stay with me and live in the palace. I promise you child, you will be treated far better than I believe you were on Midgard."

The boy had ducked his head again and was studying his hands carefully as he considered the offer. Finally, he brought his piercing eyes back up to meet Loki's and held his gaze steadily. "I'd like to stay with you, sir." he responded earnestly.

~x~

The next few days passed in a blur for Harry, who was now more commonly referred to as Haraldr. Haraldr had spent a large portion of the time sleeping, actually. In fact, that was what he was supposed to be doing right now. Unfortunately, as Haraldr gazed at the ceiling, he found that he couldn't seem to return to the world of the dreams.

Loki, the man who had been with him when he had just woken up had explained that all the extra sleeping he was doing was primarily due to the after effects of the apple. The potions he was now taking three times a day weren't helping matters either, however. The potions didn't taste as horrible as the medicine he remembered taking at the Dursley's a few years back, but they still weren't what one could call  _pleasant._

Regardless, Haraldr took them without a fuss. If they truly would make him taller and stronger as Loki had promised, then Haraldr figured that the taste and lethargy that they brought would be worth it in the end.

Haraldr was also quite curious about Loki. The man was always present whenever Haraldr awoke from his sleep. However, the green eyed boy was pretty sure that  _that_  was simply because he was sleeping in Loki's bedroom. Regardless, that didn't explain why Loki hadn't merely placed him in a guest room. Surely, if Loki truly was a prince, then he would have a spare bedroom that Haraldr could occupy.

It wasn't that Haraldr didn't  _like_ Loki's bedroom. On the contrary, it was perhaps the nicest room that the boy had ever had the pleasure to stay in. Actually, he was pretty sure that even the  _Dursley's_ had never been given the chance to inhabit such luxury. The room was large and open, complete with high ceilings and a small balcony that Loki claimed overlooked the very gardens Haraldr had gotten himself lost in during his arrival here.

If the room's beautifully engraved furniture didn't give enough hints at the lavishness of the setting, then the rich colors certainly did. The flooring and wooden furniture were all made from a rich dark wood, that contrasted nicely with the soft cream walls. Likewise, the metal fixtures and decorations were an unblemished gold, and the bed's covers, along with the curtains that flowed freely over the open windows were a deep emerald green. If Haraldr had to compare the room to anything, then he would compare it to a forest.

It was peaceful, and yet somehow solitary.

Of the furniture, perhaps the most stand out piece was the large bookcase filled to the brim with books. The bookcase took up a large portion of the far wall, and while it was in the same theme as the rest of the room, it still seemed to attract attention. Perhaps due to how messy it was compared to the otherwise spotless room. That in and of itself made it the only thing about the room that seemed to have Loki's personal touch.

The room wasn't just beautiful to look at, however, Haraldr was pretty sure that he had never felt such a luxurious bed before in his life. Granted, compared to his cupboard, he was pretty sure anything would feel comfortable. But, Haraldr was also quite certain that nothing else could possible feel this pleasant. When he lied down upon it, it was like he was floating; like he wasn't even touching the bed at all. Haraldr could only assume that it had been somehow enhanced by magic. Loki had said he was capable of using magic after all, it would make sense if he magically enhanced his things.

Speaking of Loki, Haraldr still wasn't sure why the prince was allowing him to stay in his bed, let alone occupy said bed for the last few days. Surely the prince had to sleep too! And yet, when he wasn't pacing or watching Haraldr himself, Haraldr had only ever seen Loki sitting in the armchair by the window, either looking out lost in thought or reading. Haraldr was honestly a little afraid of asking the man if he ever slept, for fear of pestering him with such a silly question. But honestly, he didn't mind sharing the bed, if it came to that. The bed was certainly large enough.

Despite the confusion Haraldr held regarding the prince's motives, the boy had to admit that the prince was taking incredibly good care of him. After that first talk that they had had, Loki had given him some new clothes to put on too. Well, new for him at least.

According to Loki, they were nothing special; simply a few of his old tunics and pants from the time when he was about Haraldr's size. They were still a little ill fitted, but far better than the ones he had previously been wearing. The material was also far softer than anything Haraldr had ever worn.

While Haraldr had been thrilled with the new clothes, Loki had still seemed dissatisfied when Haraldr had come out of the adjoined bathroom. He'd immediately assured Haraldr that as soon as the potions had brought him back up to the correct weight and height for his age, that he would get clothes made to fit him perfectly. However, until then, they would both have to make due with hand downs for a little longer. Haraldr really didn't mind. He actually rather liked the clothes Loki had let him borrow. If anything, it was the thought of Loki having to pay for the  _new_  clothes for him that bothered the green eyed boy the most. He didn't want to be an inconvenience after all.

His body  _was_ growing fast though. As Loki and Eir had both informed him, the potions were rapidly making his body develop, and while it didn't hurt like one might expect, it  _did_  throw off his sense of balance.  _And_  feel weird. During one of the visits that he and Loki had made to the medical chambers, Eir had told him that along with the potions making him a bit sleepy, he should also expect to have a far larger appetite than what he was used to.

_That_  had been an understatement. For Harry who was used to eating ridiculously small amounts of food, his new appetite was insanely large. Nevertheless, Eir had warned both of them that it was very important for Haraldr to eat as much as his body asked for in order for the potions to work optimally. He was still embarrassed every time he asked Loki for more food though. Luckily the prince would just look amused at his requests and call for a guard to deliver more food.

And whenever he saw Haraldr's embarrassment at asking for more, he would simply claim that compared to a man called Volstagg, his appetite was still minuscule.

Haraldr glanced over at Loki from where he lay on the bed. At the current moment, the prince was seated in the dark leather arm chair next to the window, reading a book. When he felt Haraldr's eyes on him however, he lifted his gaze up.

"Yes?"

"Will you teach me some magic?" Haraldr asked as he pushed himself into a seated position. At this point, he was ready to give up on trying to fall back asleep. Besides, the magic thing had intrigued him from the first day Loki had spoken of it. He had been wanting to ask about it for a while now.

Loki's expression flickered with an emotion that Haraldr couldn't quite pick up on. Then with a sigh, the prince set his book on the chair's arm and gracefully moved over towards the work table that was situated just in front of the bookcase.

"Why not." Loki replied lazily, "I've nothing better to do at the moment. Come."

Haraldr scrambled off the bed and quickly made his way over towards the table, only tripping once with his new found clumsiness. When he finally sat down in one of the chairs at the table and faced Loki, he was met with an amused smirk.

Harry pouted in return. It was hardly  _his_  fault that he was so uncoordinated right now.

Before Harry could say anything aloud in his defense however, Loki began talking. "I think we will start with one of the most basic forms of seidr— that is, magic. Projecting one's aura."

Loki paused here, and placed one of his hands on the table, palm upward. Then, right before Haraldr's eyes, a small green ball of energy appeared around the same size as his palm, floating gently above Loki's hand. The little light seemed to be in constant movement, contained only with by a force that was invisible to the naked eye.

"Wicked." Haraldr breathed.

Loki smirked softly, not removing his own eyes from the ball of light he had created. "It is, isn't it?" Closing his hand, Loki smothered the light from existence. "Now, the first step to do that is to find your seidr within yourself. I cannot explain further on how to do that, because it is different for everyone. Think of it as an exercise of self discovery, if you will.

"The second step will be to discharge the energy." Loki continued to lecture, "This is by far the easiest portion. Releasing the energy will feel natural once you find it. One simply has to guide it from ones center, and let it flow down your arms and out of your hands.

"Now, what  _does_  make this exercise difficult is control. You cannot simply let all of your seidr explode from yourself at one instance. I assure you from experience, that is  _not_ a pleasant feeling; for you,  _or_  those around you. No. You  _must_  control yourself at all times. Let only a trickle out at a time. Once you can do that, perhaps we might move on to something a little more fun."

Haraldr nodded once in understanding and Loki leaned back in his own chair and focused his green eyes on Haraldr's. He held one of his hands out across the table. "Close your eyes and take my hand." The boy did as he was told, and felt the prince's larger hand completely enclose his smaller one. "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah." the boy breathed. There was an odd warmth emanating from Loki's hand and traveling up Haraldr's own arm. It wasn't exactly warm temperature wise, rather, it's warmth seemed to come from a whirlwind of strong emotions that Haraldr couldn't even begin to decipher. The feeling made his hand tingle, and yet, at the same time it never made him feel uncomfortable.

Loki slowly released his hand, and when he spoke, his voice was barely above a whisper. "That was my seidr you felt. Yours will feel similar. Now you simply have to find it within yourself."

The boy nodded slightly and with his eyes still shut, began to search for the same feeling within himself. He wasn't sure exactly how much time had passed, but eventually he found it. It wasn't exactly like what he had felt from Loki, but it was bright and pulsing and Harry knew without a doubt what it was as soon as he discovered it.

When Haraldr opened his eyes to look at Loki, he found the prince studying the bracelets on both of his wrists. Haraldr had noticed Loki doing that a lot the last few days, however he wasn't sure what caused the prince to give the golden bands such odd inscrutable looks. After a moment, the prince flicked his eyes over towards Haraldr and raised an eyebrow in silent question.

"I felt it!" Haraldr declared proudly.

The corners of Loki's mouth lifted up ever so slightly. "Very impressive." he affirmed. "Very few can manage to locate their seidr as quick as you just have. Many are not even capable of ever finding it, regardless of how much potential they might possess. We will make a fine sorcerer out of you yet. Ready to try step two?"

Haraldr grinned. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Very well. First, hold your hands out like this." Loki demonstrated by placing both of his hands on the table slightly facing each other with his palms up. Haraldr quickly copied him, and the prince continued, "you are going to need to find your seidr again, then  _very carefully_  allow a small portion to flow away from the rest, up your arms and into your palms. Give it a try."

Haraldr quickly shut his eyes and located his own seidr again, far faster than the first time. Carefully, he mentally nudged a small trickle away from his reserves and forced it to travel down his arms. Opening his eyes just as he felt it release from his hands, Haraldr was shocked to see an explosion of opal colored wisps of energy rather than the perfect ball he had been expecting. The energy quickly fizzled out with nothing maintaining it and disappeared from view. Haraldr turned wide eyes on Loki, only to find the prince trying hard not to laugh.

"Sorry." Loki didn't sound all that sorry honestly, and there was still traces of laughter in his eyes. "I probably should have told you to expect that on your first try. You did everything correctly, the only problem was that as soon as you released the energy, you no longer attempted to control it. Hence why it did not remain in a compacted sphere. Next time, try not to—"

There was a sudden knock on the door.

"Enter." Loki called over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn around.

Haraldr looked up just in time to see a guard duck his head into the room.

"I was instructed to inform you that your brother has returned from his quest and wishes to see you, your highness."

Loki turned his head then and responded, his voice empty of any discernible emotion. "Indeed? Well. I suppose I shan't keep  _brother_   _dearest_ waiting then. Take us to him. Haraldr, I'm sorry, but it looks like we will have to put the rest of this lesson on hold for a little bit."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to make a note that this story will not be a bash. I aim to make my characters as real as possible, so nobody is infallible. That being said, I know in the physical's description, I mentioned broken bones and a magical block.
> 
> The bones are simple. A lack of good nutrition leads to a weak skeletal system, thus, it would be that much easier for him to break bones. I am not saying the Dursley's didn't abuse him (because they did in canon; at least, mentally and emotionally) but don't jump to the wrong conclusions.
> 
> Same with the magic block, don't jump to conclusions yet. Harry was not entirely human, even before the apple. Keep that in mind.
> 
> Till next time!  
> ~Dawn


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've gotten a few questions regarding the timeline and Harry's age, so I'll try to answer without spoiling too much. First, this story has a completed plot and is entirely outlined. I chose the time periods for a very good reason. I kinda cringed myself at having Harry so young, but I needed him to be about 10 for everything to work. As for Harry's aging. Yes, he will physically be a child for the entire story. I never said anything about how fast he would age mentally. There will be a pretty massive time skip coming up in a few chapters too.

Loki stalked down the winding hallways as he followed the guard into the more public portions of the palace. Just a little behind him, the child trailed along, his eyes filled with wonder as he attempted to take everything in. Beyond taking him back to visit Eir, Loki had not actually allowed the child to leave his bedroom. Though that was mostly because the child needed all the rest he could get. Regardless, this was perhaps his first time truly seeing Asgard.

Loki nearly rolled his eyes.

He supposed that to one who had not spent as much time in it as he, the grand and golden sights of Asgard were indeed impressive. Regardless, to Loki, the sight was hardly interesting. Perhaps a few centuries ago — or even a few  _years_  ago— Loki might have taken a measure of pride in his son's awe at Asgard's beauty. Now however, Loki was more annoyed than anything. As he had been forced to learn during his life, Asgard's material beauty was merely a gleaming veil to hide the arrogance and bigotry that consumed the realm.

And oh how he hated it.

Well, that was a lie. Deep down, Loki still held quite a bit of fondness for his home. He still craved it's acceptance. But he didn't think he would ever truly forgive the realm for the treatment he had endured growing up or the fear it had instilled in him of the very creatures he unknowingly was.

With a deep sigh, Loki shook the dark thoughts from his head and focused his attention back on the boy.

He really hadn't wanted to take the child with him. Actually, if he had a choice, he'd rather the boy never meet Thor. The crown prince was the very definition of a bull in the china cabinet. And somehow, Loki doubted the child would actually appreciate the Aesir's typically rash and dominating persona. Then again,  _everyone_ liked Thor. It was nigh likely that the boy would prove no different.

And he didn't have much of a choice.

There was no way he would permit the boy to remain in his quarters without supervision. Had Loki had more access to his seidr, he might have have used that to solve this dilemma. Unfortunately, attempting to create and maintain a clone to watch the boy for him would almost certainly debilitate him. There was also no one Loki trusted within the castle to leave him with. Not for the first time, Loki's stomach flooded with feelings of loss for his mother. Had she still been alive, he was relatively certain that he would trust  _her_  to look after Haraldr. Well, perhaps not right away, but he knew she would not rest until she was given the chance to spoil her 'grandson'. He would have given in too. Eventually.

Finally, it seemed that they had arrived at their destination as the guard came to a halt outside an open door. Loki watched him with guarded eyes as the warrior turned around and held vigil to the right of the door's entryway, before his eyes flickered to the entry itself. He scowled. He supposed Thor did have a sense of humor.

The room Thor had chosen for this little meet and greet was the same room they had spent so many centuries studying in as children. Loki held fond memories of it, but he was rather certain that Thor didn't. His adoptive brother had never possessed the patience or focus required for an intellectual.

Loki worked his jaw in irritation. The only reason Thor would have willingly picked this room for their confrontation was for some misguided belief that it would put Loki more at ease. A naive belief, but that was not so surprising coming from Thor.

Deciding that he had wasted enough time standing outside the room, Loki strode forward. The child, whom he had nearly forgotten about in his pondering, had remained stuck to his side like glue. His brilliant green eyes were still wide, but there was a caution in them that hadn't been there previously. Loki could only guess what had caused that.

Thor was standing with his back to Loki and thus missed the black haired prince's grand entrance. However, Jane Foster, the blond's ever present pet mortal spotted him immediately and tapped Thor's shoulder.

Thor turned around and his eyes widened almost comically. "It's true!" He whispered loudly in typical Thor fashion. Loki was relatively certain that Thor didn't actually know the meaning of the word quiet. "Father informed me of your survival but I hadn't truly—"

"Disappointed?" Loki quirked an eyebrow mockingly and took an overly large step forward, his hands clasped behind him casually. Haraldr followed in turn, remaining partially hidden behind him. "I assure you I gave it my best effort this time. Unfortunately, the Norns keep refusing to let me—"

"Nay, brother—"

"—actually perish."

"—I could never be upset at your continued survival!"

Loki snorted. "Spare me the sentiment. Last I checked you were promising to kill me yourself if I so much as stepped out of line."

"Loki..."

"Was there a purpose to this gathering, Thor?" Loki drawled, switching topics, "or are you just attempting to vex me to death? A valiant attempt, but I'm afraid that I have had too much practice in withstanding your idiocy."

"I—"

"No wait! Don't answer that. I do not find myself interested in listening to your endless drivel today."

"Loki, enough." Thor ordered. Yielding, Loki merely dipped his head slightly with a tight smile and watched as Thor took a deep breath. "How did you survive? Was it merely another one of your tricks?"

"And what if it was?" Loki challenged instantly taking another step forward. "Odin has already freed me, so you cannot put me back in my cell like you vowed."

"I would say that I should have expected it from you." Thor admitted. "But I didn't. Instead I  _mourned_  you; cried for you."

"I'm honored?"

"Yes. Well," Thor continued, looking a touch uncomfortable himself. "To what end, brother? Why not simply continue to aid myself and Jane, and return with us? Clearly you did not fake your death to actually run away."

"And what would have become of me had I continued with you?" Loki taunted. "You promised that when I returned with you, I would be returning to rot in prison."

"You are not in your cell right now, are you?"

Loki grinned disarmingly. "And I returned without you."

Thor took another deep breath and Loki couldn't help but let out a chuckle. It amused him greatly how much his adopted brother was trying to reign in his temper. He couldn't be sure if it was for his sake, or his pet mortal's however. Suddenly curious, Loki let his eyes flicker over to where Jane was standing off to Thor's side. Jane Foster, Loki realized, who had been quiet as a mouse during the entire exchange, had her eyes focused on Haraldr. Narrowing his own eyes a touch, Loki stepped slightly to the side, further removing the boy from her line of sight.

Unfortunately, his subtle movement was not missed by Thor. Thor's gaze instantly dropped from Loki to Haraldr and his face split into a wide grin. Loki's stomach flopped in realization.

' _Oh no…'_

"Loki!" Thor started, his voice becoming even louder in his growing excitement, "Were you not going to introduce us to your son? This is Haraldr, yes?"

Loki ground his teeth. "Yes… This is—"

"Son?"

The voice came from below him. Loki turned slightly so that he could look directly at the child. Haraldr was staring straight back at him. His green gaze full of question. Loki could practically see the gears turning in the intelligent child's head. The boy really was a spitting image of himself at that age.

"You had said my father came from Asgard originally. But my father's name was James Potter. I don't—" The boy cut himself off and his brow furrowed in deep thought before he continued. "You also said you didn't know my parents."

Loki could feel all three of the rooms other occupants' eyes on him but he kept his attention on Haraldr. "I never lied to you." He began stiffly. "I don't remember your mother. I don't remember you. I don't remember  _anything_  from my time on Midgard, and I probably never will."

"But you—"

"You are from Earth?" Jane finally spoke up, interrupting Haraldr.

Haraldr blinked owlishly at the new voice. "Er.. yeah..." he answered shyly before returning his attention to Loki. "You don't remember, but you  _are_ my father."

"Yes." Loki confirmed.

The boy turned his head away and took an unsteady breath as he absorbed the new information. Loki let his eyes shutter closed in frustration, his jaw tight. This was certainly  _not_ how he had intended to tell the child. Granted, Loki wasn't actually sure if he  _had_  intended to ever tell him.

"You did not inform him?" Thor questioned incredulously. Loki's eyes blinked open and he turned his attention onto the blond.

"No Thor." Loki replied blandly. "I had  _not_  yet revealed to him our shared blood. Seeing as he is very new to Asgard and our customs, and I don't have  _any_  recollection of him, I thought it ill-advised."

"Does it bother you?" Jane queried suddenly. Loki glanced over at her, only to find her staring at Haraldr rather than himself.

"No…" Haraldr answered her slowly, his head cocking to the side slightly as he studied her. "Why would it? I mean, I thought I was an orphan before now. It is kinda weird though— everything here is weird. I'm gonna wake up soon, I think… Who are you anyways?"

Thor laughed loudly. "Yes, brother, I do believe you forgot to actually introduce your son. Haraldr, this is the Lady Jane Foster. She hails from Midgard, just like you. And I am Thor— as you probably already know, I am quite famous on Midgard as of late— I am your father's brother."

" _Adopted_  brother, he means." Loki corrected mildly.

"Yes, whatever." Thor shrugged off.

"It does not bother you what Loki did on Midgard, Haraldr?" Jane prodded further. Loki shot her a dirty look, but she pointedly ignored him in favor of staring Haraldr down.

"I'm sorry Miss Foster, but I don't know what you are talking about." Haraldr explained, his voice oozing honesty. His then turned to look at Thor. "And I have never heard of you either… Sorry."

Both Jane and Thor's eyes shifted to look at Loki at that explanation, but Loki felt just as bewildered as they appeared. How could the child possibly not be aware of his exploits on Midgard? Haraldr was young, yes, but he wasn't so young that he wouldn't remember the events of two years ago.

"I was under the impression that the mortals tended to keep themselves aware of the happenings on their tiny world with their glowing screens." Loki dismissed finally before regarding Haraldr once more. "You truly know nothing of what we are discussing?"

Haraldr shrugged helplessly as he stared at his feet. "Uncle Vernon doesn't allow me to watch the telly." He admitted quietly. "Freaks aren't allowed, he says."

"Freaks?" Thor asked, looking dumbfounded. To his side, Jane looked just as taken aback.

"Magic." Loki supplied easily. "Turns out Midgardians do not hold magic in a much higher regard than the Asgardians do."

Thor shot Loki a look that was just a touch too condescending for Loki's tastes. "Come, Loki. Not everyone looks down upon your tricks."

In response, Loki crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes narrowing, "The fact that you refer to my seidr as mere  _tricks_  is quite telling, you know."

"I don't think magic is looked down upon on Earth," Jane cut in suddenly, causing both brothers to turn their attention towards her. She seemed to hesitate under the sudden attention, but continued nonetheless, "I mean, last I checked, there  _was_ no real magic on Earth, but we have some pretty powerful people nowadays, and if anything, they are idolized, not ridiculed for it. The worse I've seen is various governments wanting to hold some sort of control over those it deems dangerously powerful."

"You're American." Haraldr pointed out suddenly. "Maybe things are different there compared to England, 'cause everyone hated me in Surrey, I think."

Jane didn't look convinced by Haraldr's reasoning. "I'm not sure that that was the case." she responded cautiously.

"Well, it is not as though it matters." Loki said shortly, "Haraldr is staying here now. He shan't have to deal with the mortal's and their pettiness any longer."

"Splendid!" Thor grinned, "I must introduce you to my friends, nephew! Everyone will love you, I am sure! Everyone will be thrilled to learn of the new addition to the royal family!"

Loki narrowed his eyes. "That will not be an option, Thor, at least for a little while. Haraldr is to remain a secret until his tenth year celebration."

"I am?" Haraldr asked, his head cocked to the side questioningly as he looked up at Loki. Loki hummed in response.

"Tenth year?" Thor wondered aloud, "How old are you, lad?"

"I'm nine, sir," the boy revealed, "I'll be ten soon though."

Noticing that Haraldr was beginning to grow uncomfortable with the continued attention being bestowed upon him, Loki decided it was time to change the subject. His eyes flickered over to Jane curiously.

"I must say," he started slowly, "I had not expected either of you to return to Asgard so soon. What are your plans, Thor? Surely you know that Odin will not allow a mortal to remain on Asgard for long."

"What about your son?" Jane retorted hotly before Thor could answer.

Loki simply curled his lip upwards in a teasing smile. "My son is not mortal, human."

"I intend to petition father for an apple for her." Thor proclaimed seriously.

Loki felt his eyes widen in actual surprise. The implications of that statement alone were enough for Loki to realize just how seriously he felt towards woman. He had assumed that the relationship between the two of them was little more than another one of Thor's flings. That Thor had simply been clinging on to her with childish stubbornness.

There was also Odin's opinions to consider. It was a rarity for anyone to consume one of Idunn's apples so far along in their lives. Granted, Jane was still rather young physically, but she would certainly be considered far older than normal to receive an Asgardian's longevity. Actually, Loki was unsure of whether anyone had ever been given an apple this late in their lives. It hadn't happened in his lifetime, anyways.

"Truly?" he queried, finally pulling himself out of his thoughts, "And you think that Odin will actually agree to have a  _human_  as Asgard's future queen? That would be  _almost_ as bad as having a Frost Giant sitting on the throne."

"I don't intend to ask." Thor responded wryly. "And brother, a frost giant has  _already_ sat upon the throne, however briefly it was."

Loki swung his arms open in mock presentation. "And look how well  _that_  turned out! Besides, Odin was already asleep when I assumed the throne.  _Mother_  was the one who handed me Gungnir."

"You say he has such bias towards non-Asgardians, brother, but you would do well to remember that he adopted  _you_  as an infant, and _surely_  he intends to make Haraldr an official member of our family." Thor defended.

"Perhaps." Loki mused, "However, if he does refuse Haraldr as a member of his family, it  _will not_ be due to his genealogy, at least, not publicly. That would mean he would have to admit to the people that he has let a frost giant so close to the throne for so many years."

"And yet, he has allowed you to walk freely once more, has he not?"

Loki brought his arms up so that his wrists were even with his eyes, and the magical binds were easily visible. "Not completely freely." he responded shortly.

Thor's eyes widened incredulously, "You  _agreed_ to—"

"I was not given much of a choice." Loki interrupted indignantly. He let his eyes flicker over to Haraldr in a telling fashion. The boy in question no longer seemed to be paying attention, however, as he gazed out the large window that overlooked the training fields of Asgard.

Following the child's gaze, there was only one figure that was visible from the window's outlook: a young girl, who did not appear to be much older than Haraldr himself. The girl was presently seated sideways on a large sleeping cat, with her focus on the book she held in her lap. What caught Loki's attention however was the young girl's physical appearance. The girl was blonde of course, however her hair was not that of the spun golden Aesir locks. No, her pale blonde hair was almost white in its hue. And it did not completely cover her pointed ears either.

' _I wonder what one of Alfheim's youths is doing in Asgard,'_ Loki pondered to himself. He had always liked the light elves of Alfheim. Besides having good relations with Asgard, the citizens of Alfheim were a much more practical people, and gave much more worth towards their intellectuals. They did have their own warriors, of course, but they had far less of a warrior culture than Asgard did.

Actually, if there were any adolescents that Loki would not mind Haraldr hanging around, they would likely all be elves. At least with them, he wouldn't have to worry too much about the boy becoming another Thor. The thought alone made him shudder. No way was he willing to deal with that sort of arrogance and ego from both his adopted brother  _and_ his son.

"Come, Haraldr," Loki spoke suddenly, pulling the boy's attention away from the window. As he turned to leave the room, Loki glanced back at Thor, "I shall be back in a moment… Probably."

Without so much as another glance backwards at Thor, Loki left the room and made his way towards the palace's main doors. As soon as he stepped out of the study, his faithful guard fell into step behind him and Haraldr.

With practiced ease, Loki wound his way around the palace's occupants and out into the fresh air. Once or twice, Loki was forced to grab Haraldr's shoulder to keep him from walking into someone as he attempted to take in his new surroundings all at once, but other than that, the walk down to the training fields was uneventful.

The pair came to a halt in front of the girl, who, so focused on her book, had not even noticed their arrival. Loki cleared his throat.

The girl's eyes shot up and instantly widened upon recognizing him. She scrambled to her feet, dropping her book on the large sleeping cat she had she had been using as a seat. The cream colored cat growled slightly in annoyance and stood as well, its large wings fluttering slightly at it's sides.

' _A Riding Cat.'_  Loki surmised,  _'Interesting.'_

He should have known better than to assume the girl would be a perfect companion for Haraldr. The Cat Elves, that is, those of Alfheim who rode the large winged cats known most commonly as Riding Cats, were the sworn protectors of Alfheim. With their agile steeds, they patrolled their world in small prides, each led by a member of the Lords of Alfheim. The only way this girl had a Riding Cat at such a young age was if she too was a member of the Cat Elves. Or, more likely, was associated with them in some way.

"Y-your highness! I-I'm so sorry, I did not hear your approach!" The girl squeaked out, bringing her violet colored eyes up to meet his.

"Quite alright," Loki responded smoothly, "If I might ask, what is a daughter of Alfheim doing in Asgard?"

"I'm half Aesir, my prince." The girl responded quickly. "I've lived most of my life with my father, Lord Faradei, traveling around Alfheim. But the Cat Elves have recently been called for a mission and I was barred from accompanying them. Thus, I shall be living with my mother here in Asgard for the time being."

"I see." Loki murmured, "Well, in that case, I have a favor to ask of you. Beside me is Haraldr Magnus. He is also rather new to Asgard, but will become my Apprentice in a few months time. If you would be so obliged, I would be quite appreciative if you would take the time to show him around."

"O-of course, your highness!" the girl's eyes then flickered over to Haraldr, "I'm Runa, by the way."

"I'll leave you two to it then." Loki uttered with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. As soon as the words left his mouth, he spun on his heels and began the walk back towards the palace.

~x~

Haraldr stared after him with wide disbelieving eyes. Surely the prince hadn't just left him here! He had not been outside the prince's company since he had first arrived in Asgard. And after all he had learned in the meeting with Thor, Haraldr wanted nothing more than to sit down with the dark haired prince and ask question after question.

"So you are Haraldr, yes?" the girl asked sounding as awkward as Haraldr felt at their forced encounter. The sound of her voice broke the green eyed boy out of his stupor. Haraldr whipped his head back around to look at her as she continued, "How did you manage to get an apprenticeship with a  _prince?!_ That is incredible! I don't think he has ever apprenticed anyone! Prince Thor hasn't either!"

' _Oh, right. Loki did said that, didn't he.'_ Haraldr realized. He honestly wasn't sure what exactly Loki had wanted him to say.

From what he had gathered in that meeting with Thor— his  _Uncle,_  he supposed— nobody was to know that he was Loki's son yet. So he guessed that this was Loki's way of explaining them being seen together.

_Loki's son._

Haraldr still wasn't sure if he believed that himself. Last he checked, both his parents had been killed in a car crash. It was one thing to move to an entirely new world and live with complete strangers, it was another thing altogether to realize that said strangers were actually estranged family. Granted, Harry had wondered a time or two if the past few days was what it was like to actually have a parent, but he hadn't let himself dwell on the notion for very long. The man was a  _prince_ after all, and he knew next to nothing about him or Asgard.

And then there was what Miss Foster had been trying to hint at. Haraldr had never heard of Loki or Thor before coming to Asgard, but if she was to be believed, and Thor  _had_ sort of confirmed it, then both of them had been to Earth within the last few years. Most likely more than once. She had not seemed to like Loki either if Haraldr had been reading her body language correctly, and he could only guess as to why. After all, the prince had been nothing but nice to him since his arrival in Asgard.

Granted, he hadn't known then that the man was his supposed father. He supposed that that was just another thing to ask the black haired prince when they were finally alone again.

Haraldr suddenly became aware of the fact that the girl was still staring at him, awaiting his answer. Her eyes were certainly a color he had never seen before, not to mention her ears.

"Um, I have a lot of talent with seidr," he answered finally, hoping she would accept his response as a truth. Technically, it  _was_  true; Loki had said so himself! He was also rather proud of himself for remembering the word Loki had used for magic. "Anyways, I don't mean to sound rude, but… What are you?"

Runa's eyebrows shot up. "…What  _am_  I?" she repeated dumbly, "have you been living under a rock? I am a  _light_   _elf!_ Well, I am half Aesir, but my elven heritage is far more pronounced, so most assume I am full blooded. Where are you from, if you have never seen an light elf before?"

Haraldr shrugged, not entirely sure how to respond. He couldn't exactly lie, because he didn't know of any places he could claim he was from. She kept staring at him expectantly and finally, he just opted for the truth. "Earth."

"You mean  _Midgard_?" Her violet eyes grew huge. "Woah. I've never met a human before!"

Haraldr gave her a meek smile, "Actually, according to, uh,  _prince_ Loki, I'm half Asgardian. I didn't grow up here though, and my parents died when I was an infant."

The girl's eyes were still the size of saucers, "Well. I can see why the royal family would take such interest in you. How old are you, anyways?"

"I'll be ten in a few months." Haraldr answered instantly. He was getting rather tired of that question.

The girl nodded in understanding. "I suppose that is what the prince meant by saying you would become his apprentice soon… I just turned 412 a month ago."

Haraldr's jaw dropped. "But— you don't look  _that_  much older than me!"

Runa snorted, "Of course not, silly! Only the humans age so ridiculously fast. I'd assume that since you are here and not still on Midgard, you will also be given an Asgardian lifespan."

Haraldr blinked rapidly, what Loki had been saying not to long ago finally clicked, "Oh. Yeah, I suppose you are right."

"Of course I am right." Runa shot him a teasing grin which Harry returned after a moment.

"So, um, is that your cat?" He asked after a brief period of silence had passed between the pair.

The cat in question was unlike anything Haraldr had ever seen. If he had to guess, he would claim she was a lioness, with her short creamy, almost white coat and strong body, however, she was far larger than any lioness Haraldr had ever heard of. And then there were her wings. Big and bird like, the cat's wings were the same color as her coat.

"Yes," Runa replied, running a hand along the giant cat's coat. The cat let out a deep purr in response, "This is Mista. She is a Riding Cat. She was a gift from my father when I first began traveling with him. She has been my companion for nearly all my life."

"She's beautiful." Haraldr breathed, holding one of his hands out for the cat to sniff. Instead, the large cat butted her head against his hand, causing him to stroke her head softly, a small smile appearing on his face. "She reminds me of Nala. Er, that's a character from a story back on Earth."

Runa giggled slightly, her head cocked to the side slightly at the odd reference. "Thanks, I think."

"Don't worry, it's a compliment. Nala was one of my favorite characters." Haraldr grinned, feeling more relaxed. "Anyways, what is your home like? You said you were not from here?"

"That's correct. I was born and have lived the majority of my life in Alfheim. That's the realm of the elves. It's beautiful there. The trees grow higher than the eyes can see, and you can feel the life of the world beneath your feet. Asgard is beautiful too of course, but it is so open and tamed compared to the natural wildness of Alfheim."

"It sounds beautiful." Haraldr agreed easily. "I think everywhere is prettier than Earth though… At least where I grew up; it is dreary and grey."

Runa shrugged. "I've heard there are some beautiful places on Midgard, but I've never been myself. You should definitely consider visiting Alfheim someday. It would be well worth the visit. I expect you will get the opportunity sometime soon too. As an apprentice of Prince Loki, you are bound to travel. Loki did not earn the title Sky-walker for nothing. He is very well traveled."

"Yeah. I'd like that." Haraldr decided. "Have you traveled a lot?"

"More than most, I should think" she responded with a slight shrug, "With my father being a Cat Elf— Er, those are Alfheim's protectors. They ride the Riding Cats as their mounts of choice— so I got to travel a lot with him while he was on patrols. Granted, we rarely left Alfheim. Beyond Alfheim, I've been here in Asgard a handful of times before to visit my mother, and once to Vanaheim.

The light elves don't do apprenticeships quite like the Aesir and Vanir do." she continued, "Instead, it is typically just our parents who train us. There are exceptions, of course, but that is the norm… So, just like my pa, I will be an official Cat Elf someday. I'm already a very good shot with a bow and arrow too— that's the weapon of choice for the Cat Elves."

"That's brilliant!" Haraldr exclaimed. He had always had a fascination with archery ever since his class had gone on a medieval themed field trip and he had gotten to try it. It had been one of the few weapons that he had been able to use, despite his weak frame. "Do you think you could teach me archery?"

"Sure. It in not exactly a typical weapon for an Asgardian, but you are not exactly built like a normal Asgardian either." Runa affirmed eyeing him carefully, before an evil grin appeared on her face. "I'm not gonna go easy on you though."

"I wouldn't expect you to." Haraldr confided honestly.

It wasn't long after that that Loki returned from the palace. Haraldr and Runa were quick to say goodbye to each other and make plans to meet up again in the future. Soon, Haraldr was following Loki back into the castle and towards the dark haired prince's quarters once more. Haraldr had assumed at first that they would be rejoining Thor, but it seemed that the adventures were finally done for the day.

"What did you tell her?" Loki asked as soon as they were alone in the more private portions of the palace. Well, alone if you did not include the ever present guard trailing them at a distance.

"What did I tell her?" Harry repeated dumbly, not quite understanding what Loki was asking.

"Our relationship." Loki reiterated impatiently, "I assume you are intelligent enough to know to keep that to yourself?"

"Er. Yeah." Haraldr blinked, "She just thinks I am your apprentice, like you claimed. She knows I'm from Midgard though, and that I am half Asgardian. I didn't know how to lie about that."

"That's fine." Loki confirmed before turning to face the direction they were heading once more.

"Why did you leave me with her?" Haraldr couldn't help but ask after a moment.

Loki gave him an amused look over his shoulder, "Well, you do need friends, do you not? Better it be an elf than an Aesir. At least those raised in Alfheim have  _brains_ between their ears rather than just more muscle."

Haraldr nodded thoughtfully. He supposed that was just another thing he could add to the 'Loki acting like a parent' list. Parents were supposed to make sure that their kids weren't lonely, right?

"She promised to teach me archery." Haraldr declared with a shrug. He wasn't sure it that meant that the two of them were exactly friends or not, he didn't exactly have much experience in the matter, but he supposed it was a start.

"Archery?" Loki quirked an eyebrow, "That is not exactly an Asgardian weapon, but I suppose it will do for now. No harm in learning, anyways. I do believe you will be expected to learn a weapon that is more Asgardian sooner rather than later, however. Especially if Thor has anything to say about it."

"What sort of weapon in considered Asgardian?" Haraldr asked after a moment.

Loki just smirked humorlessly. They had just reached the door to his quarters and instead of answering, he opened the door and gestured for Haraldr to enter. The guard who had been faithfully following the prince all day remained outside the door as Loki pulled it shut behind him. Haraldr had wondered what the purpose of the guard was a few times during the day, however, he figured it was just another thing that came with being a prince. After all, Haraldr was pretty certain that the British royal family wasn't allowed to go out in public with out some protection either.

"An Asgardian weapon you ask?" Loki considered, "I think— so long as it allows the wielder to engage in  _glorious_  close combat, any weapon suffices. Truly, I think most Aesir choose their weapons based on how much violence they can obtain with them."

Haraldr furrowed his brow in slight confusion.  _'That's… different.'_  "Oh," was all he said aloud.

Loki smiled thinly. "The Aesir are a warrior culture. Here in Asgard, those who are not warriors are practically second class citizens. At least, that is how it is for the high class males."

Haraldr cocked his head to the side as something became apparent to him. "You don't talk like  _you_  are Aesir…"

"I'm not." Loki took a deep breath. "I was raised as an Asgardian, but by blood, I am Jötunn, not Aesir."

"So… That makes me half human and half, uh, Jötunn, then?" Haraldr probed.

"Correct." Loki said simply, "Although if anyone asks, I'd advise you not to mention the Jötunn blood. That is not something that should become common knowledge."

"Why not?"

Loki hesitated, "Well— Let's just say that Asgard does not view the Jötnar in the best of light."

Haraldr nodded and did not press the subject any further. He could tell that the prince was getting uncomfortable discussing that particular topic. Actually, Haraldr was pretty surprised that Loki had been willing to answer as many questions as he had. Haraldr had been certain that eventually, the prince would tire of the constant stream of questions and tell him to be silent. Haraldr supposed that that was  _another_  thing he could add to the growing list.

Speaking of that list, "So… are you really going to be my dad?"

As soon as the words left Haraldr's lips, he began to regret them. A silence fell between the pair as Loki's darker emerald eyes studied Haraldr carefully. His face was blank of any emotions that Haraldr could use to gauge his thoughts. Haraldr had to fight not to squirm under the intense attention he was receiving.

In that moment, Haraldr realized that Loki's answer wouldn't be just for him. No, Loki was also answering the question for himself. Neither of them knew what to do about this new situation they had found themselves in. Somehow, that thought alone made Haraldr feel slightly more at ease.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Loki licked his lips and opened his mouth. "Yes… I suppose I am."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia:
> 
> The Cat Elves and the Riding Cats are from Marvel comics. I didn't make that stuff up. (actually, if I did, I'd like to think I'd pick more creative names… ) Although, the only information I have on them was what I found online, which wasn't much. I do not know what their original purposes were, so it was my idea to make them the protectors of Alfheim.
> 
> Faradei is also a light elf from Marvel, but I don't know who he was or any details about him. Runa is completely my own creation. I based Runa's looks off of him, however. It just so happens that he looks a lot like the Legolas from Lord of the Rings… I don't know if that was a coincidence or not.
> 
> The nickname 'Sky-walker', comes from mythology. It was actually Loki that gave the inspiration for Luke Skywalker's name.
> 
> I also used a few lines from Ragnarok for the dialog with Thor. Did any of you catch that? Obviously, if you recognize it, I don't own it.
> 
> Till next time!  
> ~Dawn


	4. Chapter 4

It wasn't until the next day that Haraldr got up the courage to ask what had happened on Midgard. It wasn't that he was afraid of actually asking, rather, he was afraid of what he would learn.

After Loki had seemingly committed to the notion that he was going to be Haraldr's father, the two hadn't really spoken much. Although, that was mostly due to how tired Haraldr had been yesterday after they had returned to Loki's quarters. His body still required far more sleep than normal and after such an exciting day, the poor boy had practically just passed out.

The following morning had also been mostly quiet as Haraldr contemplated how to bring up what he was sure would be another difficult subject.

Really, Haraldr could logically reason that whatever had happened wouldn't change anything for him. After all, whatever Loki had or hadn't done had in no way affected his own life. And already, the green eyed child was viewing Asgard as his home, rather than Midgard, so he wouldn't exactly be able to hold any personal grudges. Besides, after all the stories Aunt Petunia had told him of how horrid his parents were, he doubted anything Loki had done would phase him much. Loki was certainly a better person than the drunk deadbeat that Aunt Petunia had claimed him to be.

But still, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

It was just, after so many years of wishing that someone would come and save him from his horrible life, Loki was  _more_  than a dream come true. A  _literal_  prince in shining armor had come to the rescue of little insignificant Harry… Was it truly wrong of him to not want to see the reality of his new circumstances?

Finally, while Haraldr was seated across from Loki at the work table in Loki's quarters, he forced his mouth open to ask. He knew he couldn't put off the inevitable for much longer. And besides, he  _was_  a little curious.

"What happened on Midgard?"

The only indication that Loki had even heard him was the slight shifting of the book on the prince's lap. Haraldr was tempted to ask again, however, years of living with Uncle Vernon had taught him that patience and silence were virtues.

Eventually, Loki opened his mouth, however, he still didn't look up from his book. "A lot has happened on Midgard, I'd imagine." he drawled with a small smirk. "You must learn to be more specific if you want a specific answer. Otherwise, your words can be used against you."

Haraldr was certain the prince knew  _exactly_ what it was he was referring to, but he decided to humor him regardless. "What happened on Midgard with you and Thor a few years ago?"

This time, Loki sighed and put his book aside. Instead of looking up however, Loki merely played with the band on his left wrist. "I suppose you are bound to find out eventually." He reasoned slowly, "It is probably best that you hear it from me…"

He continued after a brief pause, "I made a mistake, and it cost me far more than I had imagined. I was in a pretty bad state at the time and beings far more powerful than I ever dreamed existed found me. They...  _twisted_  my already troubled mind for their own bidding. I was… not myself, I suppose. Angry. Confused. Alone. They armed me, and set me loose on Midgard… I killed a lot of people."

"Oh." Was all Haraldr could think to say. He had expected something bad, but murder was still something that hadn't even crossed his mind. He was also well aware that Loki had kept his explanation purposefully vague. Although, Haraldr figured that that might just be due to how uncomfortable the prince was speaking about such topics.

Loki still wouldn't look up at him.

Haraldr shifted in his seat slightly, suddenly feeling restless. Was it really fair for him to judge the prince for actions he was only able to learn about second hand? Haraldr couldn't help but remind himself of how wonderfully Loki had thus far treated him. Surely it was better to judge someone based on personal experience and current actions, rather than past mistakes.

Putting personal feelings aside, Haraldr was intelligent to recognize what Loki wasn't saying: That, despite his actions, he hadn't actually meant to harm anyone. That he  _regretted_  it, at least in part. He figured Loki was simply too prideful to actually admit he was sorry. He  _was_  a prince, after all, and to Haraldr's young mind, that was a perfectly logical reason for not apologizing. To confirm this, Haraldr decided to ask a follow up question.

"Would you do it again?"

Finally, Loki looked up and met Haraldr's gaze dead on. He quirked an eyebrow in humorless amusement. "No." he claimed definitively. "I never make the same mistakes twice."

Haraldr nodded and allowed the subject to drop. If Loki was surprised at Haraldr's seemingly easy acceptance of the prince's admittedly horrific deeds, he didn't show it.

~x~

It had been one month since Haraldr had fallen into Loki's life. In that time, the two of them had fallen into a sort of easy routine.

Luckily, in that time, a bedroom connected to Loki's own quarters had been built and furnished for the boy. Loki was pretty sure that the room's creation more than anything had assured Haraldr that this was not some sort of elaborate cruel joke. That he truly was going to be living here from now on.

Despite no longer sleeping in the same room, Haraldr still spent the majority of time within Loki's chambers rather than his own bedroom. Surprisingly, Loki had found that he didn't mind the company as much as he had expected. After all, the boy was ridiculously polite and easy to deal with.

 _Nothing_  like some of the Aesir youths he had met.

Every morning, the boy woke up at the crack of dawn, just like Loki himself did, and the two shared their morning meal crowded around the little work table. After he had finished his meal, Haraldr would then sit patiently while he waited for Loki to finish his.

On occasion, Loki would eat purposefully slow, just to watch as the boy shifted in his chair with childish restlessness a bit longer. No matter how long he made the boy wait however, Haraldr never opened his mouth and complained… And Loki was quite certain that the boy had caught on to his little game too.

As soon as he had finished and the dishes had been cleared away by the palace's servants, the child would always ask to be taught more magic. Loki always took a moment to deliberate before agreeing, however, he never had any actual intention of saying no to the boy. Whilst he might deny it out loud, Loki reveled in the childish wonder the boy displayed at his seidr.

Loki only wished that he could show the boy what a master seidr user could  _actually_ accomplish when not restricted.

Speaking of the binds, his current punishment was something that Loki had  _not_ actually told the boy about. Although, Loki was pretty sure that the intelligent child had already figured it out, at least partly. After Loki had explained his deeds to Haraldr he had caught the boy staring curiously at him on more than one occasion, and seen his eyes flicker towards his wrists and at his guard when they were out and about in the palace. The boy never brought them up however, and Loki had no intentions of explaining anyways.

Loki was still a touch surprised at the boy's lack of reaction to his exploits on Midgard. Since he had informed him, Haraldr had not acted even remotely different around Loki. Loki wanted to ride it off as simply being due to his childlike innocence and lack of true understanding, however, he was sure that on at least one occasion when he wasn't around, Jane Foster had cornered him and reexplained the events from her point of view.

Speaking of Jane Foster, Loki hadn't seen her around much since that first meeting. Although he had borne witness to one of the rather loud arguments between Thor and the Allfather regarding Jane's mortality. Just like Loki had predicted, Odin did not think that Jane was a good fit for Asgard's future queen. Of course, Thor was far too stubborn to back down. Surprisingly, Loki was getting the impression that Jane herself didn't actually want to be a queen. Not if it meant that she had to give up her life on Midgard as an astrophysicist, that is.

Regardless, Loki was more than willing to sit back and watch the family drama play out around him.

Beyond the rest of his family, Thor's friends, and the various palace guards and servants, Loki really hadn't seen any of Asgard's other residents. While he had always been rather introverted compared to Thor, Loki had become even more reclusive since his return to Asgard. Now, he spent the majority of his time in his quarters reading or teaching Haraldr magic.

Often, he also found himself teaching the boy other things beyond controlling his seidr. Since the boy had spent the majority of his time on Midgard, he was incredibly naive about many things that Loki felt were obvious, and as his son, Loki simply couldn't allow this naivety to continue. Luckily, the boy seemed to readily soak up any lessons Loki decided to bestow upon him.

So that is how the two spent the majority of their days. Of course, Loki did not teach the boy  _everything_ he thought the child should know, but he did suggest books for the boy to read in his free time. When the servants came into the room to deliver their midday meal, it was not uncommon for them to find the pair in various locations around Loki's chambers reading. Loki had even heard a few rumors circulating about how the trickster prince had managed to clone himself and now had a younger copy wandering around.

Naturally, Loki did nothing to dissuade the rumors from spreading.

The irony  _was_ rather funny, after all.

There were times that the boy did not remain in their shared chambers, however. In fact, as the month progressed, it had become more common for  _Haraldr_  to leave the chambers than Loki himself; mostly due to his developing friendship with the young girl from Alfheim. Recently, he had been meeting with her almost daily on the training fields in the late afternoon to practice archery.

Loki didn't quite understand why his son was so fascinated by the weapon, but he didn't think too hard on it. Nonetheless, Thor's complaining about how a bow was not a  _true_ Asgardian weapon  _was_ starting to get on his nerves. Although, in all honesty, that had made Loki even more consenting towards his son's weapon of choice.

In the present time, Loki glanced over at Haraldr. This afternoon, the boy had curled up on the armchair nearest the windows. In his lap, Haraldr was balancing an open book and was currently oblivious to the outside world as he practically inhaled the words from the pages. Loki felt a small amused smirk begin to appear on his face. The boy really did look like a little clone of himself at the moment. From his current vantage point, Loki could just recognize the cover of the book as one that detailed basic manipulation of seidr.

Honestly, Loki was rather certain that  _that_  particular book was in actuality far below the boy's current level. Within the last month, Haraldr had progressed incredibly fast in manipulating his seidr, and while he had a long way to go before the black haired prince would dare teach him any actual  _magic_ , Loki was suitably impressed.

The boy already understood the basics of physically manifesting and forming his seidr outside his body. Loki knew it wouldn't take but perhaps a few years for the child to figure out how to create a full blown illusion if he kept up the current pace. Really, the child was progressing even faster than he did as a child. Although, in Loki's defense, he didn't have anyone teaching him until he was far older. And while his mother had been an excellent teacher, Frigga's seidr and the magic she could accomplish with it had not been all that similar to his own.

As if feeling his gaze, Haraldr slowly brought his eyes up to meet Loki's. "What?" he muttered with a slightly quirked eyebrow.

Oh yes.

The child truly  _was_  nearly identical to himself at that age. Or, at least, Loki was beginning to rub off on him. The black haired prince wasn't entirely sure whether that was a good or a bad thing. He could certainly think of a large number of individuals across the universe who would be horrified at the concept though. The thought brought a small smile to his face.

"Anything useful in there?" Loki inquired as he leaned back in his seat and folded his hands on his lap.

Haraldr opened his mouth to answer but before he did, a knock interrupted him. Loki rolled his eyes in irritation. Judging by the time, he was rather certain that it was a servant at the door bringing them their midday meal. He supposed he couldn't blame them for having poor timing.

"Enter." He called.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the timid blonde haired mouse of a servant who typically came with their food. Rather, it was his burly blond haired adopted brother, who didn't seem to understand the concept of personal space.

Thor stuck his head through the door and a wide grin split his face as he glanced from Loki to Haraldr. Haraldr, in turn, was gazing curiously at the crowned prince.

Loki could understand his curiosity, due to the fact that Haraldr really hadn't had much of a chance to spend any time with the favored prince. It wasn't that Loki was actively preventing the two of them from convening, but he also had no intentions of going out of his way to socialize the boy with the Aesir any more than he had too. Mostly, because that would mean that  _Loki himself_  had to socialize with the Aesir, and that was something he would really rather not do.

Besides, it wasn't like the boy had to stay within Loki's sights  _all_  the time. So long as he did not make a fool of himself and kept the dark haired prince informed of his whereabouts, Loki could see no problems with the boy getting some fresh air. He had been in Asgard for a month after all anyways. Loki was pretty sure that by now, the child at least had a basic understanding of how things worked around here.

"Hello, brother; Haraldr!" Thor began eagerly, cutting off Loki's musings, "Brother, if you don't mind, I'd like to introduce my nephew to Master Tyr. It is high time he began his training as a warrior. And I thought, who better to teach him than the man who taught the two of us so many years ago. I know Haraldr is not quite ten yet, but as a prince, it is probably best for him to begin early rather than later."

Loki had expected this to occur eventually. As an Asgardian,  _especially_ if he was actually recognized as a prince of the realm, Haraldr would be expected to endure training as a warrior. It was primitive, in Loki's humble opinion, but he supposed the traditions of warrior training were too embedded in Asgardian culture to simply go away. That was one thing he supposed he could appreciate from the Midgardians. The humans had advanced from the age of sticks and stones to create truly impressive technology in a ridiculously short span of time. Their ability to move forward and embrace change was astounding.

Although, they also tended to simply kill each other with their new inventions… A lot.

As it were, if Thor was going to have anyone train Haraldr, Loki figured that Master Tyr truly was the best option. The Asgardian warrior was older but had been a member of Asgard's Einherjar for Loki's entire life. Tyr's fairness and sense of justice were what had gotten him the position of Commander of the Einherjar. Besides, as Thor had already pointed out, Tyr had already trained Loki. He more than anyone would know what to do with his son.

"I'm rather surprised you waited this long," Loki commented mildly. "It's not like you to be patient."

Thor narrowed his eyes slightly in consideration. "…Is that a yes?"

Loki gestured with his arms in a large sweeping manner. "By all means, you might as well." He dismissed, his tone disinterested. "It would be utterly  _horrid_ for Asgard to have a prince who was incapable of killing efficiently, after all."

Thor rolled his eyes at Loki's flat humor before glancing over at Haraldr.

"He doesn't mean that," Thor informed Haraldr soothingly. "Nobody expects you to kill anyone."

Loki turned his head slightly so that he could see the boy once more. Indeed, the boy's eyes had widened with Loki's admittedly tactless words. Loki sighed in slight irritation with himself. It was so easy for him to forget to watch his words when he was around the boy.  _Especially_  when someone like Thor was around. He should have known that the boy was too soft hearted to even want to harm a fly. He had been like that too as a child after all.

"You need to be able to defend yourself, Haraldr. In training, you will not do anything beyond sparing, and you will never have to fight for real unless you yourself choose to. No one has the right to order you to battle." Loki promised. Thor opened his mouth to counter but shut it again when Loki glared at him.

"What my brother says is true, nephew." Thor amended, "And it will be many years before you are considered advanced enough to even hold a real weapon. Come, I shall take you down to the training grounds now."

Loki watched as the boy hesitantly stood and stepped over to where Thor stood by the still open door. As he reached him, instead of following Thor back out the door, Haraldr turned back to face Loki.

"Aren't you going to come?" he asked. Loki could still see a touch of uncertainty in his eyes.

"I think not." Loki responded evenly as he picked his book back up off the table. "I am quite contented with remaining here. You'll be fine, Haraldr. Thor is an oaf, but he is far too noble to allow any actual danger to come to you."

~x~

Haraldr was slowly trailing Thor as they made their way down to the training grounds. The boisterous prince was loudly commenting on something but Haraldr honestly wasn't paying that close attention. Instead, his attention was focused on what was to come.

The green eyed boy couldn't help but feel an impending sense of dread as they moved closer to the sounds of sparing. While Haraldr was still taking potions, his height and weight had already increased exponentially. The healer Eir still claimed he had a good ways to go before he was normal for an Asgardian youth of his age, however. Thankfully, he was no longer so clumsy on his feet as he was when his body first began to change.

But despite being in far better physical shape than he had ever been in, Haraldr was still sure that he would never amount to much as a 'warrior'. He'd never been very talented at sports and always dreaded when the other kids wanted to play football in the play yard at school. Luckily, that was one time Haraldr was grateful for his bully of a cousin. Dudley always made certain that little Harry was excluded from their games.

Honestly, Haraldr really didn't expect to be very good at any sort of physical form of combat, or whatever it was they intended him to do. He liked archery of course, but nearly everyone he had spoken to, including Runa herself, had already informed him that that was not an acceptable weapon for a young Asgardian. But really, Haraldr couldn't think of a single weapon that he would be able to wield successfully if not that.

Haraldr didn't think he had ever had so much fear of failure as in this moment. It scared him more than he cared to admit that he might not be able to fit in on Asgard. Asgard was his home now, and he loved it more than he had ever thought possible. Unfortunately, the boy could remember Loki telling him quite distinctly that the Asgardians were a warrior culture. He also remembered how important it was for the upper class society to be apt with some sort of weapon; how crucial it was to gain the ranking of a warrior.

And little Harry was no warrior.

Haraldr was pretty sure that Loki wouldn't actually care if he made a fool of himself out on the training fields— the prince had always seemed far more interested in books and magic after all— but he didn't want to sully Loki's reputation any by being a dishonorable son.

The duo came to a halt on the edge of the training grounds. Haraldr glanced up at Thor in question just as the large blond turned to speak to him.

"Wait here, Haraldr." Thor commanded, "I shall return in a moment once I have located Master Tyr."

Haraldr nodded in response, but the crown prince had already turned his back and started walking across the training grounds. With a sigh, Haraldr turned his head to the side slightly to gaze out across the rolling fields. In the distance, he could just make out the glint of water of the sea that bordered Asgard's edge.

"Haraldr?" a voice asked from behind him, "What are you doing here? I didn't think I would be seeing you until tomorrow."

Taken by surprise, Haraldr whipped around to come face to face with Runa. The young elf had her bow swung over her arm and her quiver strapped to her back. Beside her, Runa's ever present companion stood restlessly.

"I'm here with Prince Thor." Haraldr answered honestly.

"Oh." Runa looked a touch confused at that pronouncement. "What does the crown prince want with  _you?"_

Haraldr shrugged innocently. "He thinks I should begin learning an Asgardian weapon. I think he is afraid that his brother won't actually train me."

Runa laughed. "Well, I can't say I blame him," she commented. "Supposedly, Prince Loki is quite skilled with knives, but I have not seen him practicing with any of the others a single time."

"He likes to read," Haraldr defended. "and I don't think he likes physical violence that much. Anyways, what are you doing here? Just come to get some practice in?"

Runa nodded. "Yeah, I thought I might. Mama is busy today and Mista and I didn't want to sit around by ourselves all day."

"Can I join?" He asked eagerly, "Thor said I was to remain here, but I think that so long as I keep this location in sight, I could join you."

"Sure!" Runa grinned.

The duo moved a little distance away to arrive at the location they usually convened to practice. Since Asgard typically didn't play host to archers, there was not a setup archery range for the two to practice. Thus, before Runa had begun teaching Haraldr, the two had set up a few makeshift targets. The targets really weren't that impressive to look at, but they were easy to move and kept in outskirts of the training fields so that they didn't have to worry about anyone accidentally getting hit with one of their stray arrows.

Well, one of Haraldr's stray arrows. Runa hadn't been lying when she claimed that she had a pretty decent aim.

After they got their targets set back up, the two began to take turns shooting Runa's bow while they chatted back and forth. Over the last few weeks, Haraldr had grown more and more comfortable talking with the girl. While Runa could be a touch conceited and domineering, the light elf had become a good friend and was more than willing to share her love of archery with Haraldr.

When it was Haraldr's turn to shoot the bow, Runa would stand off to his side and adjust his stance and offer slight corrections. Although, it wasn't uncommon for them to simply tease each other and not train too seriously. Today, she seemed far more interested in simply letting him shoot.

"So… Have you talked to your father yet about getting me a Riding Cat?" he asked mischievously as he set up to fire.

Runa laughed, glancing over at Mista, who was presently sunbathing a short distance away. "Only the elves ride them, you know."

Haraldr shrugged, unconcerned as he lowered the bow slightly. "Well, only the elves use Archery too, but here we are."

"True." she conceded, "Now shoot so it can be my turn!"

Haraldr followed her advice and focused once more on his target with narrowed green eyes. Taking a deep breath, Haraldr was just about to release the arrow when he heard his name being called.

"Haraldr! There you are!" Thor bounded over to where Haraldr and Runa were practicing with his huge strides. Behind him, two figures followed at a slightly more tempered pace.

Looking at Thor's companions, Haraldr was pretty certain that the older was the Master Tyr that Thor had brought him to meet. To Haraldr, the man looked like a warrior straight out of a movie with his many battle scars and leathery skin. His long copper colored hair and beard were already streaked with grey denoting his age. Perhaps the most distinctive feature about the Asgardian was his missing left hand. On Tyr's exposed forearm, Haraldr could see a multitude of scars that made it seem like the hand had not only been lost in some sort of battle but  _bitten_ off. Haraldr could only begin to imagine what sort of animal would be capable of doing something like  _that_.

The second person who had arrived with Thor looked to be only about 15 human years. He also didn't look much like the rest of the Asgardians with his dark brown hair and more Eastern European facial features. That said, it was incredibly clear that the 'teen' was a gifted warrior given his physical build and stance.

"Haraldr, I would like to introduce you to Master Tyr and his current apprentice, Njord from Vanaheim." Thor began finally. "Master Tyr, this is Haraldr Magnus. The boy I was telling you about."

Tyr swept his gaze over Haraldr then with a knowing glint in his eyes. "Loki's  _apprentice_ then, eh?" Tyr queried with a touch of mirth dancing in his eyes. Haraldr didn't doubt for a moment that the old weapons master knew of his true relationship with Loki. "He certainly reminds me of another I trained once…

"You are rather lucky, child. Seeing as I am the Einherjar Commander, and I already have a full time apprentice of my own, I typically wouldn't take on another. Of course, I could never deny Prince Thor— not to mention that I am quite curious about you myself… Have you had any previous weapons training, child?"

Haraldr shook his head. "Nothing besides archery, sir."

"Archery?" The 'teenager' Thor had identified as Njord questioned. "But you are not from Alfheim, are you?"

"No." Haraldr denied, "But my mum was Midgardian and I've lived there most my life. Besides, I like archery. It's fun."

"Be that as it may," Tyr broke in, "We will need to get you started with a weapon that is Asgardian in nature." Tyr narrowed his eyes slightly as he once again studied Haraldr closely. "Physically, you are built quite similarly to Loki, so I would not be surprised if you excel in the same sort of weapons that he did… Although, judging by your stance, I doubt you are someone who would prefer a weapon that requires such close contact with an enemy as a knife…

"Alright, I have a few ideas for what might fit, but until I truly begin working with you, I shall keep my mouth shut." Tyr continued as he turned away and began to move towards the inner parts of the training grounds. "Come, let me assess what exactly I will be working with."

With a nod, Haraldr turned his attention back to Runa one last time as he handed her back the bow and arrow he had still been holding. She gave him a slightly odd look as she accepted both.

"I guess I'll see you later then." She commented, "Have fun training under Master Tyr."

Haraldr fixed her with a nervous grin. "I'll try. See you later, Rue!"

With that said, Haraldr spun and hurried the short distance he had fallen behind the others. The group of four continued into the heart of the training grounds. All around them, various Asgardians were sparring against each other. The clanging of their swords and various other weapons was a near constant sound in the background. Despite having spent a lot of time out here with Runa, Haraldr had never ventured this far in. He attempted to take it all in with wide eyes.

"So what's a Midgardian doing in Asgard then?" While Haraldr had been entranced by his surroundings, Njord had fallen into step beside him. With the asked question, Haraldr tore his attention away from his surroundings and focused on the older boy.

"I'm only half Midgardian." Haraldr pointed out. "I'm also half Asgardian. As for  _why_  I am here? I study seidr under Prince Loki."

Njord looked thoughtful for a moment before an amused glint entered his eyes. "So you are a  _magus_ then. I think I shall call you that from now on."

Haraldr was not impressed. "My name is Haraldr  _Magnus_ , not Magus."

"I know." Njord grinned, "But since Magus means sorcerer, I think it is far more fitting."

Haraldr huffed, but didn't vocally disagree. Instead, he switched topics. "So why are  _you_  here? You are not Asgardian either."

"I'm here due to my apprenticeship to Master Tyr," Njord explained, "My parents are simple merchants in Vanaheim, so when my potential as a warrior was recognized and I was given the chance to become such an elite master's apprentice, my parents jumped at the chance to hand me over."

"You don't want to be a warrior?" Haraldr questioned curiously.

Njord shrugged. "I miss home." the older boy admitted. "I miss traveling the sea."

Haraldr nodded thoughtfully, but before he had a chance to reply, Tyr had turned on them and began to speak.

"Alright, here is what we are going to do today. Njord, go find two good waster swords please." Tyr glanced at Haraldr then as Njord scurried away. "A waster is a practice sword. Don't worry, I do not expect you to be able to wield it right away."

Haraldr nodded, and soon, Njord rejoined the group bearing two wooden swords. Glancing at Tyr, Njord then handed the smaller of the two swords to Haraldr. Haraldr took it cautiously and held it awkwardly in front of him.

With careful hands and a soft voice, Tyr stepped closer to Haraldr and gently corrected his stance and grip. To Haraldr, holding the sword felt even more awkward in the correct grip than it did before, but he didn't voice his concerns.

"Alright," Tyr continued. "I want you to try a simple block now. Njord is going to strike gently at your middle. Simply move your arms up like this to ward off his attack." With his words, Tyr gently guided Haraldr's arms in the correct motions he wanted the boy to attempt. After he felt confident that Haraldr understood, he stepped back and gestured towards Njord.

Haraldr took a deep breath in concentration and turned his attention towards Njord. The older boy brought his own practice sword forward in an easy arc, and Haraldr, using the block position that Tyr had just got through explaining, was able to parry the blow without too much trouble.

But, instead of stopping there, Njord fluidly followed the first attack up with another in a slightly different location. And  _another_. Granted, his attacks were not exactly aggressive, and were certainly kept at a level meant for a beginner, but as the blows kept coming, Haraldr struggled more and more to keep up. The sword still felt incredibly awkward in his hands, and it was heavy to maneuver quickly enough to continue parrying the blows.

Haraldr could feel himself tiring and finally, he faltered and his sword was knocked partially out of his grasp as he scrambled to remain balanced on his feet. Unfortunately, Njord didn't notice this and proceeded with another strike. In a panic, Haraldr dropped the sword entirely and brought his hands up to protect his chest. Unconsciously, Haraldr called upon his seidr to protect him, just like he had done so many times before on Midgard. The only difference was that this time, instead of evoking accidental magic, Haraldr used Loki's lessons to actually call upon his seidr in its true form.

Happy to oblige, his opal white seidr instantly burst into existence around him and quickly formed a shield to protect him from the oncoming sword. Njord's waster bounced harmlessly off the hastily formed shield, and just as quickly as it had developed, the seidr shimmered out of existence.

Hesitantly, Haraldr turned to face Tyr, fully expecting to be met with a lecture of some sort. Instead, he was accosted by loud laughter. Beside Tyr, even Thor appeared highly amused by the turn of events if his wide grin were anything to go by. Bewildered by this turn of events, Haraldr turned back to face Njord. However, the Vanir youth seemed just as taken aback by their response as Haraldr was.

"Truly my prince," Tyr began as he finally got his laughter under control. "I can certainly see where the rumors are coming from. If it were not for the color of his magic, I would say Loki was merely playing us!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trivia:
> 
> Tyr was the one-handed Aesir god of war, law, and justice in Norse mythology. He also is the commander of the Einherjar as seen in Thor: Dark World. It is his name that the word Tuesday ('Day of Tiw' or Tiwesdæg in Old English) actually comes from.
> 
> The Einherjar in Norse Mythology were those who died in battle and went to Valhalla. In the MCU the Einherjar were simply what the elite warriors in Asgard's army were called. Naturally, I am using MCU's conception for this story.
> 
> Njord was the Vanir god of the sea, merchants at sea and various other things in Norse mythology. He is also said to be an honorary member of the Aesir, due to living in Asgard and giving them aid in the Aesir-Vanir War.
> 
> Till next time!  
> ~Dawn


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the delay for this chapter. I have tried to get it out as soon as I could. My life away from the computer is extremely hectic right now, so I can't promise my updates will be any quicker in the next few weeks. Hopefully, by August my schedule will dramatically open back up as I complete all my tests and graduate from the accelerated program I am currently enrolled in. All I can promise right now is that none of my stories are abandoned and that I will do my best to update as often as humanly possible.
> 
> Seriously, once my program is completed, I fully intend to go back to updating my stories at least once a week.
> 
> Without further ado,

 

 

 

"Are you sure I am ready for this?"

The boy looked ridiculously nervous. It was the morning of the ceremony, and Haraldr had just emerged from his room. He stood in the doorway between his own bedroom and Loki's main quarters. His arms were wrapped around his middle and he peered up at Loki with worried green eyes. If Loki had to guess, then he was pretty sure the child hadn't gotten a wink of sleep last night. Surprisingly though, Loki had not heard a peep from Haraldr since he had gone to bed last night.

Whilst Loki did sort of feel bad about how distraught the boy was, he couldn't help but be amused by how cute the boy looked in that moment. Haraldr had already taken it upon himself to get dressed in his formal white, black, and gold leather armor that had been custom made for him a few weeks back.

The armor was beautifully done and would make it clear to anyone who saw it just who the boy's family was. If Loki had to compare, he would claim that beyond the color scheme, it looked just like the formal outfit he himself had donned as a child.

In the two months that the boy had been on Asgard, Haraldr already looked far older and stronger than the tiny mouse of a boy that had first shown up. Most of that was due to Eir's influence and a far more healthy lifestyle. According to the healer, Haraldr still needed to take his potions for another month or so but he was on track for a complete recovery. She expected to would grow a little bit more too. Just like himself, it looked like the boy was going to be inheriting his tall lean figure.

"You will be just fine, Haraldr." Loki confirmed calmly after a brief delay.

The boy took a deep breath but still kept his hands wrapped securely around his middle.

Loki refrained himself from sighing in slight annoyance. He remembered being scared during his ceremony too, but Loki was pretty sure that he had been able to hide his nerves better than this. At least, he was pretty sure he had...

Regardless, while Loki understood that the child was still incredibly new to being given the attention that came with being a prince, he really wished the child would learn to just put on a mask already. With the formal armor, and his new height and stature, Haraldr looked every bit the prince he was, but with his anxious stance and wide eyes, he still reminded Loki of the boy he had first seen two months ago.

"Would it help if we went over the details surrounding your ceremony again?" Loki asked mildly.

Haraldr nodded quickly and finally decided to exit the doorway. Quickly, the emerald eyed boy scurried across Loki's quarters and sat down on the bed next to Loki. The boy had chosen to sit closer to Loki than the elder prince was normally comfortable with, but Loki decided not to call him out on it today. He figured it wasn't worth it in the current atmosphere.

"Alright then," Loki began, "To begin, you are going to have to wait out in the side hall with a guard. Myself and the rest of the royal family, council, and honored guests will be invited into the throne room beforehand. I am sure that the viewing halls will likely be filled with guests as well. Nobody knows you are a royal beyond a select few, but most know that something is up. There has been too much preparation and secrets surrounding this ceremony for them not to be curious.

"Anyways," Loki continued, "Odin will first introduce you and your existence to the court officially. You will be asked to enter after all the important details have already been cleared up. When you do, your guards will remain at the doors. You shall walk directly down the center of the throne room and kneel down in front of the Allfather. He will address you then. Just answer his questions like we have practiced. Remember to keep your voice strong and clear.

"You shall then be escorted with the rest of us out to the public portion of the palace gardens where you shall be presented with an Apple—"

"And it really won't be a problem that I have already eaten an Apple?" Haraldr interrupted. His voice was slightly muffled due to him pressing his face into Loki's side. Loki wasn't really sure when the child had decided to curl even closer to against him.

Loki glared down at him slightly in annoyance at the interruption, however, the boy never looked up to see. Taking a deep breath, the older prince ran one of his hands through the child's messy black curls and felt all his annoyance drain from his body. Loki was pretty sure that that was the first time that Haraldr had ever actually interrupted him whilst he was talking. He supposed the child was simply a lot more nervous than he had originally suspected. Perhaps he had been wearing a partial mask earlier after all.

"You will be fine, Haraldr." Loki repeated his earlier words, but his voice was a touch gentler than before. "And you don't need to worry about consuming an additional Apple. You can eat as many as you wish. For important celebrations, the Golden Apples are often harvested and made into a cider or special tart due to their divine taste… After eating your first, you will never get the same reaction as you did the first time. It will not affect you any more than eating a normal apple.

"Thus, I have taken it upon myself to coat the apple that shall be used for your ceremony with a sleeping potion. Thus, you won't even have to worry about pretending to be affected by the Apple. Simply let the potion do its job. Don't fight it. It is expected that when a child consumes their first Apple that they will fall unconscious after their first few bites; the crowd won't be able to tell that you are merely sleeping rather than unconscious."

Loki could feel the boy nod against his side. The dark haired prince took a deep breath before continuing. "And that is that. Honestly, these ceremonies are always dreadfully boring. You won't miss much after you fall asleep— besides a bunch of Asgardians making fools of themselves, that is. Frankly, I am just thankful that I can use you as a reason to escape. As soon as you fall asleep, we will both retire here for the night…"

Loki trailed off as glanced back down at the boy. He really wasn't sure how to handle this. Sure he was getting more comfortable dealing with the child on a day to day basis, but this was really the first time the child had truly acted this upset. Beyond the initial panic, Haraldr had not even reacted this much during his first few days in Asgard.

The only thing Loki could think to do was to try and emulate what his mother would have done in this situation. Well, Loki knew Frigga would have scooped the child up into her arms and comforted him easily. She had always had such a magical touch when it came to dealing with children. It was that reason Loki had always felt so comfortable going to her when he was younger. She always knew the right things to say when he was scared. Thor used to tease him mercilessly for being a 'momma's boy' growing up which was the only reason he had  _stopped_ running to her so often as he grew older.

Loki shook his head slightly to clear it. He really couldn't afford to start thinking about those things at the moment.

"You should probably eat something." Loki commented a touch awkwardly as he brought his eyes up to look at the table across the room. The servants had brought their breakfast before the child had even entered the room that morning.

"Not hungry." The boy muttered, not moving.

Loki sighed. He probably should have guessed the child wouldn't want to eat. Regardless, "You should still try and eat something," Loki argued shifting slightly so that the boy would be forced to move as well. "Look at me, Haraldr. You are going to be fine. I promise."

As the child brought wide eyes up to look at him, Loki could see that the child was on the verge of tears.

"Child, have I ever lied to you?" Loki waited until the boy shook his head before continuing. "Then heed my words now: Everything shall be just fine. And even if something does happen, you are a  _prince_. There is nothing you could possibly do that will change that or make anyone look down upon you. So chin up, eat some breakfast and soon it shall be over and you will see that all this worrying was for naught."

When Haraldr still refused to move, Loki released another long breath and stood up himself. Then, without warning, he scooped up the child and padded over to the table.

Haraldr, for his part, tensed in surprise upon finding himself being moved and Loki was once again reminded of the poor state that the child had arrived in. At least, Loki was pretty sure it wasn't considered normal behavior for a child to tense in fear due to being picked up.

Nevertheless, as soon as Haraldr realized whose arms he was in, the boy curled closer against Loki's chest.

Loki smiled slightly as he came to a halt in front of the table. Against his better judgment, he knew that over the past few months he had spent with the child, he had already become incredibly attached. He simply couldn't help but be fascinated with the child's innocence and trust.

Besides, the child was  _his_.

After a moment of simply standing with the boy held gently against him, Loki slowly leaned downwards towards the chair that Haraldr typically occupied and deposited the boy onto it.

Haraldr blinked up at him owlishly and Loki had to stifle a smirk.

"Eat." He commanded, gesturing towards the platters of food sitting innocently before him.

Loki took a seat in his own chair across the boy and began dishing up his own plate while he kept an eye on the boy. Haraldr still hadn't made any moves to dish up his own plate, instead, he was simply glaring at the food as if it had offended him in some way.

Rolling his eyes, Loki leaned across the table and placed some fruit and bread on Haraldr's plate.

"Eat," he commanded again, "You do not want to go all day on an empty stomach."

Haraldr wrinkled his nose slightly as if he was considering arguing but then seemed to think better of it and slowly raised one of his hands and carefully picked up a piece of bread.

With a touch of hesitation, Haraldr brought the bread to his mouth and took a small bite. He chewed slowly before swallowing thickly. "I don't think I can eat anymore." He muttered, placing the bread back on his plate.

Loki was not impressed. However, instead of speaking, he narrowed his eyes and considered the boy in front of him. The dark haired prince was so tempted to simply force the child into eating, but really, he realized that that wouldn't truly accomplish much in the end. Besides, Loki had really never been one to use such force in such matters; that had always been more Thor's style.

Instead, Loki once again considered what his mother would have done, and suddenly, a light bulb went off.

"Alright," Loki conceded, "But would you be able to drink something?"

When Loki had been a very young child, his mother would often have the cooks make a thick cold drink made up of fresh fruits and juice. She had most often procured them for him— and Thor, for that matter— when he was especially nervous about something. Or, at least when she  _expected_ he was going to be nervous. As a child, it had annoyed him sometimes that she could predict his inner thoughts so well, despite trying his best to hide them, but he always did appreciate her concern.

In front of him, Haraldr cocked his head slightly to the side in confusion. "A drink? Er, yeah. I guess I could. Why?"

Loki didn't respond. Instead, he turned his attention onto the platters of food that sat before him. Logically, it would be wise for him to simply call a servant to request one of the drinks from the cooks, but that would take time. And honestly, Loki wasn't sure that they would be quick enough for the drink to arrive in time for Haraldr to drink it before it was time for them to make their way towards the throne room.

No, it would be better if Loki simply made it himself. Loki was sure it would be an easy task for a seidr user of his caliber. After all, all he really had to use his magic for was to combine the ingredients together and chill it slightly. Such tasks would be mere child's play for him normally. Unfortunately, with the binds on his wrists, Loki knew that this small task was going to be near his current limits. Loki was tempted to coach Haraldr through the task and let the child make his own drink, but then thought better of it. Again, they were running on little time, and by the time the boy actually made the drink, it would probably already be time to go. No, it really was better for him to simply make it himself.

Steeling himself, Loki picked up the pitcher of fresh juice and poured some into a glass so that it was filled half way. He then placed some of the various fruits into the glass as well.

Whilst he was doing this, Haraldr eyed him curiously. "What are you doing?" The boy couldn't help but ask finally.

Loki didn't look up from his work when he answered. "Making you a drink."

Haraldr's face scrunched as he considered that. "Like a smoothie?"

"…a  _smooth-E?_ I haven't a clue what that is, Haraldr," Loki replied mildly.

"It's a Midgardian drink," Haraldr responded quickly. "My cousin used to buy them in town sometimes. I've never had one myself, honestly, but they look good… How are you going to blend it? …you are going to blend it, right?"

"Yes. It shall be blended by magic," Loki acknowledged, glancing up at the boy. "And no, it is not a Midgardian concoction. My mother used to make these for me when I was your age. If they do have them on Midgard now, it is either a mere coincidence, or they copied us. Now do be quiet for a moment, I need to focus."

Taking a final deep breath, Loki turned his attention back onto the now full glass of fruit and juice. Placing both of his hands loosely on the glass, he began to release his seidr, using it to fuel the spell he was running through his mind. All too soon, the familiar hum that came from using his magic swept through his hands and the green magic appeared around the cup. Slowly, the mixture within the glass began to blend together and Loki could feel the glass' temperature begin to drop as the two spells ran their course.

Like he had expected, however, the spells quickly began to drain his energy. Gritting his teeth, Loki held them in place until he could see no more lumps in the glass before he finally allowed the spells to break.

Loki's vision tunneled dangerously as he finally released his hold on his seidr but he forced himself to remain conscious through sheer willpower. There was absolutely no way he was going to show such weakness in front of the child.

The dark haired prince took a moment to take a few deep breaths before he dared to move or even look up. He was careful to hide any external signs of discomfort. Regardless, when he finally did lift his gaze, he could see Haraldr watching him with a touch of concern lurking in the depths of his emerald green eyes.

Loki didn't allow himself to dwell on how well it seemed the child could read him. Instead, he carefully pushed the glass towards Haraldr with one hand.

Cautiously, Haraldr accepted the glass from Loki and took a small sip.

"Good?" Loki asked after a moment. His mouth felt like it was filled with sawdust, but at least his voice sounded normal enough.

The boy nodded, taking another small sip. "Yeah. Thanks, dad."

Loki's breath caught in his throat at the name and he temporarily forgot about his current discomfort. That was the first time that the child had actually called him that when the two of them were conversing. Logically, he had expected Haraldr to eventually begin calling him that. They  _had_ discussed it after all, and he had accepted the title and what it meant for their relationship.

But he hadn't expected to actually hear the word in normal conversation so soon.

Up until that point, Haraldr had simply been calling him 'Loki' as he had told the boy to call him that first day. The only time that Haraldr had ever referred to him as something different was when they were in public, where the child  _usually_  remembered to tack on a 'prince' before his name. Not once had he actually referred to Loki as his father in any form beyond questions about their relation.

And just then, the child had used it so naturally. Like, it hadn't even crossed his mind what hearing that single word was doing to Loki's head. Like, the boy hadn't even considered  _not_ saying it.

Looking at him now, Loki knew without a doubt that Haraldr didn't have an inkling of a clue what that innocent word had done to Loki's insides. Loki couldn't help but wonder when exactly Haraldr had decided that he was actually worthy of such a title. Or if he was even conscious of such a decision. Regardless, Loki couldn't help but still feel completely overwhelmed by the responsibility that he knew came with such a role. At the same time, it merely made him more determined to not fail the boy like he had failed in so many other aspects of his life.

No, if he had anything to say about it, the child would not end up like him. Loki would do anything to ensure that that didn't happen. And if there was one thing Loki was good at, it was keeping his promises. Right then, Loki made a silent promise to always be there to protect the boy. Nobody would harm Haraldr if Loki had anything to say about it.

All too soon, Loki finally realized that in his initial shock, he had never actually responded to the boy. To his  _son._

Taking a deep breath, he opened his mouth and willed his voice to sound as normal as possible.

"You're welcome."

~x~

Later that afternoon Haraldr found himself standing in the corridor outside the throne room. His father had left him a few minutes ago to take his position for the ceremony.

Now, except for a few guards, Haraldr was all alone.

He knew any moment he was going to be expected to walk into the throne room and join the rest of his family.

_His family._

It was still mind-blowing to the green eyed boy that he actually had a family now. Because really, he never really considered the Dursleys as family. Relatives, sure, but they had never been  _family_  for little Harry Potter.

But now it didn't even matter. Harry had found his own blood-related family who actually wanted him; 'freaky' magic and all. Sure he had found that his newfound family was a bit quirky— and well, not even  _human_ for that matter— Haraldr still couldn't help but love them even more for it. Besides, wasn't every family supposed to be a little weird behind closed doors?

Well, unless you were the Dursley's that is.

The only thing that really concerned Haraldr about his new family was the reason he was currently standing in the corridor outside the throne room.

Harry had never been a child who really wanted a lot of attention brought upon him. Sure, the occasional approval was always nice, but to constantly be in the limelight was never something that really appealed to the young boy.

Perhaps it was due to living so long with the Dursley's that Haraldr was so comfortable with disappearing into the shadows.

Back on Earth, it was so easy for him to not have to worry about reputations or unwanted attention. After all, thanks to the Dursley's, Harry's reputation was already trashed, so it wasn't like there was anything that Harry would actually do that could really bring himself down any lower— it wasn't like he was going to steal or anything, after all. Harry was too good of a kid to stoop to that level.

Regardless, now Haraldr didn't have a choice. As soon as he walked inside that throne room, Haraldr's life was going to change dramatically and he knew it. As a prince of the realm, Haraldr would never have the same privacy and freedom that others had. From his father's teachings these last few months, he was well aware of some of his responsibilities to be a role model and positive figure for the people. His face would be well known all throughout Asgard by the end of the day. Even on the other realms— except perhaps Midgard— Haraldr could expect to have his name recognized. He would forever be expected to be an envoy of Asgard.

It was tempting for the green eyed boy to turn around and simply walk back to Loki's quarters. To demand to be returned to Midgard so that he wouldn't have to deal with what was coming. To run from his new responsibilities. But to do so would also be to run from his new family and life, and Haraldr couldn't do that. Already, they meant too much to him.  _Loki_ meant too much to him. He could no longer imagine his life without the taller black haired prince in it.

Haraldr loved having Loki as a father. Really, if this was what it was like to have parents, then Haraldr could understand why Dudley was always vying to please his.

So Haraldr had no choice. He would follow his father's guidance and accept his new standing in society willingly. Because, more than anything, he wanted to make his dad proud.

"You may enter now, Prince Haraldr." One of his guards spoke quietly, breaking Haraldr's current line of thought.

Nodding slightly, Haraldr took a deep breath, set his shoulders and stepped forward into the brightly lit throne room.

The brightness blinded him for a moment and the loud chatter of the crowds inside was a stark difference from the room's usual echoing quiet. But he let his feet lead him forward, knowing that so long as he remained walking straight, he would remain on course.

Pretty soon, the room came into sharp focus, and Haraldr had to keep himself from freezing right there. The throne room was more crowded than he had ever seen it before. All around him, impressively dressed individuals stood tall, looking down on his much smaller figure. Compared to them, Haraldr still felt vastly outclassed, even if logically, Haraldr knew he wasn't the poorly dressed tiny boy he had been only a few months ago.

Nevertheless, Haraldr still couldn't help but feel that he was still that little boy again. That he was simply playing dress up with someone else's clothes.

The outfit that he was wearing today was likely the most expensive thing that Haraldr had even  _touched_ , let alone wear. It was also the first thing that had been custom made for him, just as Loki had previously promised his future clothes would be. According to his father, the outfit was decorative armor, that would identify him as a prince of the realm.

When he had voiced his concerns about feeling silly in the outfit, Loki had promised that as a child, Haraldr wouldn't be expected to dub the outfit all the time. Unfortunately, despite what his dad had promised, Haraldr could read between the lines well enough to understand that as he grew older, he  _would_  be expected to wear the armor more and more frequently. But, he also understood that he would be given more and more free reign when it came to the armor's basic design.

As it was now, Haraldr's armor was quite similar in style to Loki's. The only major difference was the colors. Where Loki's was green, black, and gold, Haraldr's was white, black, and gold. Haraldr was pretty sure that his father had chosen that particular color scheme as a nod towards his seidr's color. Regardless, the green eyed boy kind of liked it, so he never questioned it.

Swallowing thickly, Haraldr focused his vision forward as he continued his way towards the front of the room and put all his attention on Loki. His father stood on the steps leading up to the throne, his posture giving off the feel as though he were exactly where he was meant to be. Haraldr could only hope that one day, he could obtain a fraction of his father's confidence. As soon as Haraldr made eye contact, Loki raised an eyebrow slightly and a small smirk appeared on his face. Haraldr felt his own lips curve slightly upwards as he returned the look with a slight smile.

Finally, he made his way to the front of the room and came to a halt at the base of the steps leading to the throne. Slowly, just as he had practiced, Haraldr knelt down on his knees and kept his head bowed down to the floor and behind him, all the voices grew quiet as they awaited the Allfather to stand and speak.

It was a long moment before Haraldr could hear the Allfather shift as he stood and began to speak the same words that Loki had spoken to him numerous times in the past few days as he learned his lines.

"Are you Haraldr Magnus of Asgard?"

"I am." To Haraldr's own ears, his voice sounded squeaky and high compared to the majestic voice of his grandfather.

"And do you further recognize yourself as a son of Loki, my own son?"

"I do."

"And is this child a recognized blood son of your's, Prince Loki?"

"He is. I recognize him, and title him as a Lokison." His father's voice replied steadily.

"As a recognized Lokison, do you accept the responsibilities and duties that come with being a prince of the realm, Haraldr Magnus?"

"I do so accept."

"Then, as the son of my son, I recognize you as kin, and title you as prince. From this day forward, let it be known that this child shall henceforth be known as Haraldr Magnus, son of Loki, Prince of Asgard. You may rise, Prince Haraldr, and take your place by your father. "

"I thank you, Allfather."

Haraldr finally looked up and stood. The Allfather smiled slightly down at the ten year old and Haraldr opted to duck his head once more in a slight bow as he began climbing the stairs to join Loki. The place he was expected to stand was something that they had also already rehearsed.

When it came to the elevated throne and the steps leading up to it, the elite and royal family members all had their expected places. Odin was the only one allowed to sit, occupying the beautiful golden throne with his spear, Gungnir in his hand. Thor, as the crowned prince was the only other individual that was positioned on the elevated platform. He stood just to the right of the throne.

On the Allfather's left were the prized Warriors Three, who were considered elite fighters and the chosen companions of Thor. To his right on the highest step was where Loki stood. Haraldr was expected to stand to the right on the steps directly beneath his father. On the lowest step on that side was where the elite warrioress, the Lady Sif, stood, putting Haraldr directly between the two dark haired adults.

"Well done, Haraldr." Loki muttered under his breath as Haraldr finally came to a halt on the steps.

Haraldr smiled slightly but didn't dare reply or even turn to look at his father. He had been told previously that it was expected for them to remain politely quiet as they awaited the Allfather's dismissal to the courtyards for the Golden Apple portion of the ceremony. And as his first time in the public's eye as a recognized prince, Haraldr was determined not to mess anything up. So he stood as tall as his youthful stature allowed, kept his chin up and his eyes forward, no matter how stupid he still felt.

Odin addressed a couple more issues with the court before finally dismissing the court for Haraldr's Golden Apple ceremony.

"There is one more matter that needs to be addressed today," He began, "My grandson, who has now been officially introduced to Asgard has also passed his tenth year, and as such, I would like to cordially invite everyone to join myself and the rest of my family to the garden courtyards to witness his partaking of an Apple of Idunn. Court dismissed."

At his final words, Odin stood and let Gungnir strike against the hard floor. The resulting sound echoed throughout the high ceilinged room as the volume of voices once again increased. Quickly, people began to file out of the throne room and move in the direction of the courtyards. Well, Haraldr was pretty sure that that was where everyone was headed. Loki had warned him that he should expect extremely large crowds. After all, "it's not every day that a  _prince_  receives their immortality, let alone a regular Asgardian," according to Loki.

"Are you ready to head down there then?" Loki asked from his side. Haraldr finally turned his head to look at his father and offered him a small smile.

"I think so."

Loki dipped his head slightly as he began moving down the steps. "The hard part is already over, Haraldr. Now all you have to do is fall asleep."

Just as Loki had promised, the Golden Apple ceremony was far less intimidating than his induction into the royal family. The only thing that was nerve-wracking about it was the vast amount of people present. Just as Loki had predicted, the Asgardians put quite a bit of importance on this ceremony. Adding that to the secrecy surrounding Haraldr, the rumors,  _and_ how fast word had spread about Haraldr's official rank, and the crowds really weren't that surprising.

All too soon, Odin introduced Haraldr and presented him with his Apple. Haraldr took it with careful hands. As instructed, he took a seat on the elevated platform before daring to take a bite.

The Golden Apple of Idunn tasted just as unnaturally sweet as Haraldr remembered. Although, the intense taste was tainted slightly by what Haraldr was sure was Loki's sleeping potion. Sure enough, after a few bits, Haraldr could feel his eyes becoming heavier. It wasn't long before he couldn't even hold them open if he tried.

His last memory of that day was slumping against Loki's chest as the Apple once again fell from his hand.

~x~

"So when exactly were you going to tell me that you were a  _prince?_ "

Haraldr jumped slightly at the sudden voice appearing behind him. It was a few days after his ceremony and this was the first time that he had exited the castle since being officially inducted into the royal house.

By his side stood a guard who hadn't made any indication that someone was approaching. Some help he was.

According to Loki, as a young prince, a guard would now have to remain beside him whenever he was alone. At least until he received his ranking as a warrior of the realm, that is. He had a training session scheduled for later that afternoon, but he had decided to leave the palace a little early to get some fresh air and await Master Tyr's arrival.

Over the last month, he had begun to learn how to wield a staff as his primary style of weapon. A Svärdstav, as Master Tyr had called it was what he was what he was aiming towards. According to Master Tyr, a staff was a weapon that did not require as close of contact as a dagger or hand to hand, and relied on leverage, momentum, and quick motions, rather than brute strength like some of the weapons common on Asgard.

Of course, at the current moment, Haraldr was only learning forms with a wooden pole, and it was not expected for him to touch a metal weapon, or even fight against an actual opponent of any sort for a good while. Occasionally, Haraldr also still practiced with a waster sword, because as a prince, it was expected that he have a well-rounded knowledge in all basic forms of combat.

Back in the present, Haraldr quickly spun around to face the newcomer. "Runa? Where did you come from?"

In response, the bleach blonde half-elf rolled her eyes. "Seriously?! I called out to you  _twice_  as I approached. Are you deaf now? That apple do something to your hearing yesterday? Again, you never answered my question, when were you gonna tell me?"

Haraldr blinked slightly at the onslaught of questions. "Um, my hearing is fine, thanks. I was just lost in thought, I guess. And I did want to tell you, but my father told me to keep quiet. Sorry, I really didn't want to lie!"

Runa huffed in annoyance, but her features seemed to soften slightly when she spoke next. "So am I supposed to call you  _Prince_  Haraldr now or something?" she probed further.

Haraldr shook his head almost violently. " _Please_  don't." He nearly begged, "I really don't want anything to change between us! You're my best friend, and I still don't really know how to deal with all this new attention and responsibilities."

Runa raised her hands in the universal sign of surrender, "Okay, okay, I promise not to treat you any different." She agreed. To Haraldr the girl looked just as thankful by the outcome of their talk as he felt. "Although, if your father complains, it is your fault, not mine."

Haraldr grinned, "Deal. So what are you doing out here anyways? You practicing archery?"

Surprisingly, Runa shook her head. "No. Actually, I was just looking for you. I wasn't actually present for your induction ceremony of course—I wasn't important enough to get into that— but my father was. As a high lord of Alfheim, he was invited even if he had no clue what was actually going to happen. That's probably the only reason he actually came, to be honest. Curiosity killed the Cat Elf or something… Ha! Isn't that one of Midgard's sayings?"

"Er. Kinda," Harry responded with a lopsided grin.

"Well anyways, he was shocked, to say the least." Runa continued. "I mean, all the other realms look to Asgard to set an example, so anything that happens here is typically a big deal everywhere, but a new member of the royal family? That's  _huge!_ As soon as he left the throne room, he was worrying about what he and the rest of Alfheim were going to do to welcome in the new prince and I—"

"You guys really don't have to do anything!" Haraldr interrupted with wide eyes waving his hands in front of his chest slightly to underline his statement.

"Yeah, we do actually." Runa maintained proudly. "Trust me, all the realms will be expected to do something to welcome in the new prince of Asgard… Most of the respect will be paid to the Allfather or even your own father, rather than to you, however. Lucky for you, I was able to speak to my father before he left for Alfheim yesterday. I told him how you wanted a Riding Cat."

Haraldr blinked. "Wait what? I thought only Cat Elves could ride them!"

Runa shrugged. "Well, yeah,  _normally_  that is the case. But you are a  _prince,_  Haraldr! That means that you don't exactly have to follow the same set of rules as the rest of us! In this case, that means that if you demanded one of our Cats, we wouldn't exactly be able to say no. Not without starting a potential dispute with Asgard, anyways."

"But I don't want—"

"I  _know_  you don't." Runa cut in with another roll of her eyes, "And I also know that you would not say no to a Riding Cat. So lucky for you, you have me as a friend and I asked for you. You're welcome."

"But I—"

"You are supposed to say thanks here."

"I—"

"Just accept it. Seriously."

Haraldr took a deep breath. "Thanks. I really do appreciate it, but I can't accept it! I mean, I would love one, but I don't want to upset Alfheim or cause any sort of conflicts! You know that I was only partly serious when I mentioned them in the past!"

"You are not causing any such problems, for Alfheim or anyone else by accepting our gift." A new voice butted in. "If anything, it would be an honor to Alfheim that an Asgardian Prince would willingly choose and accept one of Alfheim's Riding Cat's as a familiar."

In his panic, Haraldr had not really paid the newcomer any mind until just then but now he turned his full attention on him.

Almost immediately, Haraldr could deduce that the man was Runa's father. With his similarly violet colored eyes, bleach blonde hair and clearly visible elven ears, their relation was quite obvious. Beyond that, the elf was tall and clearly strong, despite his lean frame. Beside him stood a Riding Cat that Haraldr had never seen before. This one had the coloration similar to that of a leopard and looked far more dangerous in appearance than Haraldr had ever attributed to Mista as being. It was also far larger in build, which Haraldr supposed did make logical sense. Runa had informed him once that Mista was young, but he had never really thought about the fact that that might mean that she wasn't quite full grown yet.

But what really caught Haraldr's attention was what the Cat Elf was holding in his arms. In the Cat Elf's arms was none other than  _another_ RidingCat. Only this one was no bigger than a few month old lion cub. As far as Haraldr could see, the kitten was completely black; his fur almost taking on a blue tint to it due to its dark nature.

Bringing wide eyes back up to meet the elder Cat Elf's violet ones, Haraldr really wasn't sure what to say. Luckily, the Cat Elf seemed to realize that.

"My name is Lord Faradei, Your Highness, and on behalf of all of Alfheim, I have been given the honor of presenting you with this kitten as a gift. He was specially picked from his litter as one displaying great promise. I hope he lives up to his full potential under your guidance."

With that said, Faradei moved closer to Haraldr and carefully deposited the sleeping kitten in Haraldr's arms.

"Be mindful of his wings." Faradei murmured as Haraldr adjusted the cub. "As he is so young, his wings are still quite fragile."

"What is his name?" Haraldr breathed.

"That is for you to decide, Prince Haraldr." Faradei explained. "As part of the bonding that takes place between a cat and it's rider, only its rider can give it it's name. Mostly, this is simple tradition, but there is believed to be some magic to it that links a familiar to it's master."

"You are correct," Loki affirmed as he drew closer to the group. Haraldr had noticed his father exiting the palace a short while ago and had been tracking his approach ever since. "There is magic involved in such a thing."

"Prince Loki, a pleasure." Faradei acknowledged with a slight bow of respect.

Loki dipped his head slightly in response. "Lord Faradei. On behalf of Asgard, I would like to thank Alfheim for such a thoughtful gift. I will ensure that my son takes good care of his new companion."

"As I have informed your son, it is Alfheim's pleasure."

While his father and Faradei were talking, Haraldr had turned his full attention on the still sleeping kitten in his arms. Carefully, he shifted the kitten slightly so that he could use one hand to stroke the winged cat's obsidian colored fur. This action seemed to be what finally woke the tiny Riding Cat up, however, as all of a sudden, the kitten was blinking sleepy ice blue eyes up at Haraldr. Those eyes reminded Haraldr of something and he took a moment to remember what.

"Shruikan!" Haraldr remembered suddenly as he remembered the character who reminded him so much of the kitten. He then looked up to see that all eyes had fallen upon him. "That is what his name shall be."

"Shruikan..?" Loki tested the word on his own tongue. "I cannot say that I am familiar with that particular word."

"He was a dragon from a book I read," Haraldr explained. "Shruikan was not exactly a good guy, to be honest, but the character still always touched me. When I first read about him— I don't know— I just felt like I could relate to him with my time at the Dursleys and all, I guess."

Faradei nodded. "It is an acceptable name, young prince. Now, I believe it is my time to bid you both adieu and journey back to Alfheim once more. It has been an honor, Prince Loki, Prince Haraldr."

Runa, who had remained quiet through most of the conversation turned to follow her father, over her shoulder, Haraldr could see the half-elf glance at Loki before turning impish eyes on him.

"See ya later, Haraldr!"

Even without physically looking, Haraldr knew that Loki's eyes had narrowed slightly at the informal comment. Thus, before his father could actually say anything, Haraldr spoke up, "Bye Runa!"

Haraldr watched as the two elves grew smaller in the distance for a long moment. In his peripherals, he could just see his father watching him. Finally, he tore his eyes away from the horizon to look up at Loki, only to find that it wasn't him exactly that the taller prince was looking at specifically, but the kitten still tucked carefully in his arms.

"You could have just told me that you wanted a pet, you know." Loki pointed out flatly.

Haraldr merely grinned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Let me know what you think so far, and please don't forget to review!
> 
> Trivia:
> 
> Svärdstav is a medieval Scandinavian weapon. It translates to Swordstaff, and is basically created by placing a blade on the end of a staff. There is very little information out there for this weapon, unfortunately, but I will try my best to make the information I do use as accurate as possible. I chose this weapon in hopes of being a bit unique. Regardless, Haraldr will not be giving up his archery in exchange for this.
> 
> Shruikan is a character from the Inheritance book series. I will be honest, I only ever read the first book, but I wanted Harry to choose a name from a character he had read about. A character from The Jungle Book(Bagheera, in particular) was another name I seriously considered. I am honestly not certain I am completely sold on the name Shruikan, so if you guys can think of something better, I might still change it. Let me know!
> 
> For the ceremony, I used the first movie of Thor for an idea on how to present everyone. If you are curious about where exactly everyone stood, take a look at a clip of Thor's coronation on YouTube.
> 
> I used some of my own personal experiences for this chapter… I have very strong stage fright. Always have, and probably always will. I almost always refused to eat the morning of whatever was causing the stage fright as a child, and my mother would always refuse to allow me to start my day without eating. When I refused to eat, she'd make me a fresh fruit/protein smoothie. Even today, when I'm nervous, I either drink yogurt or make a smoothie instead of eating a normal meal.
> 
> Till next time,
> 
> ~Dawn


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